Bill Belichick to Depart New England Patriots After 24 Seasons and 6 Super Bowls Wins with NFL Team: Reports

Mar. 15, 2025

Bill Belichick in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Sept. 17, 2023.Photo:Maddie Meyer/Getty

Maddie Meyer/Getty

Bill Belichickis reportedly parting ways with the New England Patriots.

The longtime head coach, 71, is set to announce his departure from theNFLteam sometime Thursday, according toESPN.

Belichick and the Patriots' owner,Robert Kraft, were in talks all week discussing the move and how best to approach it, sources told the outlet, noting that there was no animosity between the two Patriots leaders.

NFL insidersreported the same news, claiming that the decision for Belichick’s departure was a mutual agreement with the Patriots.

Belichick himself has not yet addressed the news, but is expected to during a press conference with Kraft, 82, on Thursday. He remains interested in coaching, and is expected to explore other head-coach vacancies in the league, per ESPN.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

Bill Belichick in Foxboro, Massachusetts, on Oct. 1, 2017.Jim Rogash/Getty

Jim Rogash/Getty

With a historic sixSuper Bowltitles under his belt, Belichick has secured his place among the best NFL coaches of all time.  He joined the Patriots in 2000 after stints with the New York Giants and New York Jets, as well as head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

In 2020, Belichick remarked on his departure from the Jets just one day after taking a head-coaching gig to join the Patriots as “not only one of the most defining, but you know,one of the great moments of my career.”

He toldWEEI Sports Radiothat the Jets position “wasn’t a good situation for me, and I didn’t want to be part of it.”

Bill Belichick in Houston on Feb. 5, 2017.Focus on Sport/Getty

Focus on Sport/Getty

Three weeks later, Kraft made a trade to secure Belichick as New England’s head coach. “That combined with Robert giving me the opportunity to come here, I couldn’t have asked for anything more," Belichick said.

Among Belichick’s most notable achievements is his camaraderie with former Patriots quarterbackTom Brady, whom he famously took a chance on in 2001 and who helped lead the team to their first-ever Super Bowl title.

The team went on to win back-to-back Super Bowls in 2003 and 2004, as well as in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

Bill Belichick; Tom Brady.Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty

Nancy Lane/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty

This past December, Belichick faced questions from reportersabout his future at the organization, as the Patriots had only won 3 games at that point.

Brady, 46,spoke out in defense of his former coachas Belichick faced criticism for the team’s performance this season, calling him “the best coach, in my belief, in the history of the game,” during an appearance on theStephen A. Smith Show.

The legendary quarterback, whoretired last yearafter two seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, added of Belichick, “The thought of him not being in New England is hard for me to think about."

source: people.com