Patriots great reflects on fans saluting Bill Belichick during Tom Brady ceremony
New England Patriots former head coach Bill Belichick.
One of the highlights of Tom Brady's New England Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony last week was the fans' opportunity to salute former head coach Bill Belichick, who parted ways with the organization this past January.
Former New England running back and three-time Super Bowl champion Kevin Faulk also attended the ceremony and reflected on the Belichick moment during the latest edition of the "Eye on Foxborough" podcast.
"He did not leave on a good note, in nobody’s eyes, especially when you’re 4-13," Faulk said about Belichick's final season with New England, as Karen Guregian of MassLive shared. "That’s not leaving on a good note. But, for him, his tenure there was a lot more positive than his last few years there. He had a long, positive run with the New England Patriots and the organization and the guys he coached. He changed a lot of guys' lives on and off the field."
Belichick famously guided the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships from 2000 through 2019 but struggled to find success after Brady left the club as a free agent in 2020. Without Brady, Belichick's Patriots missed the playoffs three times across four years before team owner Robert Kraft decided to take a different approach.
The official announcement of the Kraft-Belichick breakup in January was followed by a news conference that gave fans little closure. Faulk noted that Belichick's ovation at the Brady ceremony "was just thank you from everyone" for all the living legend achieved during his New England career.
"Everyone that was in the stands, everyone that’s a New England Patriots fan, that’s what [the applause] was about," Faulk continued. "It was a thank you for all of these years."
Kraft and Belichick reportedly "got sick of each other" over the past few years following Brady's departure. Still, Belichick should have his own Patriots Hall of Fame induction ceremony at some point. Then again, Kraft and even some New England fans could turn on Belichick if he joins the division-rival New York Jets in an attempt to set an NFL record for career victories earned by a head coach (regular season and postseason combined).
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