Tom Brady and Bill Belichick will forever be New England Patriots royalty — even if neither one is part of the organization.
“I’m incredibly grateful to have played for the best coach in the history of the NFL,” Brady, 46, wrote via Instagram on Thursday, January 11, after the Patriots announced that Belichick, 71, is stepping down as the team’s head coach.
Brady, who was the Patriots quarterback for two decades, called his former coach a “great leader for the organization and for all of the players who played for him.”
The retired athlete continued: “We accomplished some amazing things over a long period of time, many of which will be hard to replicate. he worked every day to help us achieve the ultimate goal, in the ultimate team sport. And, although we were successful, some of the greatest lessons I learned were in the moments where we faced the most challenging adversities.”
Brady acknowledged that Belichick “set the tone for the organization to never falter in the face of adversity, and to do what we could do, and what was in our control, which was to go out and DO OUR JOB.”
Brady, who is widely considered the greatest quarterback of all time, tipped his hat to Belichick, confessing, “I could never have been the player I was without you Coach Belichick. I am forever grateful. And I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose next.”
Hours prior, Patriots chairman and CEO Robert Kraft and Belichick announced in a joint press conference that they “mutually agreed to part ways.” Belichick thanked all of his former coaching staff and the players as well as Kraft, 82, for “putting everything they have into” the organization and supporting him throughout his career.
“I will always be a Patriot. I look forward to coming back here. But at this time, we’re going to move on,” Belichick told reporters. “I’m excited about the future.”
Kraft noted that this is “an emotional day” for him as “some of [his] happiest and most memorable moments were celebrated with [his] family during Bill’s tenure here.” He called Belichick’s departure the “end of an era, one that will always be celebrated in this region.”
Belichick’s legacy as the New England head coach is unmatched in the NFL. He ran the team from 2000 to 2023, during which time he led them to six Super Bowl wins, the most of any head coach. During his reign, Belichick’s Patriots won nine AFC championship games and competed in the game 13 times.
In addition to his six Super Bowl wins, Belichick appeared in three more Super Bowls, totaling nine — another record.
Much of Belichick’s greatness with the Patriots happened alongside Brady, who became the team’s starter in 2000. Brady was at the helm during the organization’s six Super Bowl championships. He left the team in 2020 after 20 years.
Brady went on to play three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and won his seventh Super Bowl ring — before retiring for good ahead of the 2023 season.
Belichick, for his part, has served as assistant coach and coordinator for multiple NFL teams, including the New York Giants, the New York Jets and the Patriots before he became the head coach. His next move has not been announced.
