Bill Belichick, Patriots mutually agree to part ways after 24 seasons

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have mutually agreed to part ways after 24 seasons, NFL Network Insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported on Thursday, per sources.

The team has since announced the news.

"Robert (Kraft) and I, after a series of discussions, have mutually agreed to part ways," Belichick said in a media address on Thursday. "For me, this is a day of gratitude and celebration. I'll start with Robert and his family. So much thanks for the opportunity to be the coach here for 24 years. It's an amazing opportunity, and I received tremendous support. We had a vision of building a winner, building a championship football team here. That's exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations, the amount of success we were able to achieve together through a lot of hard work and the contributions of so many people. Very proud of that, and I will always have those great memories. I'll carry those with me the rest of my life.

"... I will always be a Patriot. I look forward to coming back here but, at this time, we're going to move on. I look forward and am excited for the future. Always very very appreciative of the opportunity here, the support here and Robert what you've done for me. Thank you."

In 24 seasons in Foxborough, Belichick led the most decorated dynasty in NFL history. Under his leadership, the Patriots won six Super Bowls, tied for most by a franchise in NFL history, with nine Super Bowl appearances. Belichick has more Super Bowl appearances as a head coach than every franchise save one, the Patriots (11).

In the two-dozen campaigns, New England compiled a 266-120 regular-season record and won 17 AFC East titles -- including 11 straight from 2009-2019, the longest streak in NFL history. The 17