FOXBOROUGH — For more than 20 years, the marriage between Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick lifted the New England Patriots to unprecedented heights because, at the end of the day, they put egos aside and did what was in the best interest of the team.
Six Super Bowl trophies and 24 years later, both parted ways on Thursday with the same message in mind.
There are all kinds of divorces. Amicable. Scorched Earth. Business agreements. Awkward. Whatever was going on behind the scenes between the two franchise giants, from the time a 4-13 final season concluded to Thursday morning's announcement, almost doesn't matter.
Kraft and Belichick came together in a photo op — no questions were taken by either — that left the lingering images of this union very positive for years to come.
In the end, both sides did what was right for the team.
Kraft, after launching annual warning shots across Belichick's bow as losing seasons piled up since Tom Brady was allowed to leave, finally made the tough call that Belichick: as great as he was, he was no longer the person to lead the football operations forward.
"As Bill mentioned, yesterday, we met and mutually agreed to part ways amicably," Kraft said. "Like a good marriage, a successful head coach/owner relationship requires a lot of hard work. and I’m very proud that our partnership lasted for 24 years. I don’t think in the NFL, there’s been any other partnership that lasted longer and has been as productive as ours."
And Belichick, still on top of his game in terms of gameplanning and institutional discipline and intent on continuing to coach, decided that he was not going to put up a fight. He was going to go off on a high note with Kraft, including a well-crafted statement that bordered on emotional at times.
"Robert and I, after a series of discussions, have mutually agreed to part ways," Belichick said. "For me, this is a day of gratitude and celebration. I’ll start with Robert and his family. Great. So much thanks for the opportunity to be the head coach here for 24 years. It's an amazing opportunity, received tremendous support. We had a vision of building a championship football team here. That's exceeded my wildest dreams and expectations, the amount of success that we were able to achieve together through a lot of hard work and the contributions of so many people. I'm very proud of that, and I'll always have those great memories. I'll carry those with me for the rest of my life."
On Monday, Belichick signaled that he was going to dig in, citing his contract and that he was intent on continuing to work as he always does. Tthat just seemed to be an opening salvo to Kraft, saying that he could make this difficult if that's what Kraft wanted.
In the end, Belichick is getting his money, which he has earned, and total freedom.
Kraft got the elegant solution that he wanted. The picture from Thursday looks a lot better, say when it comes Hall of Fame time, than Belichick and Kraft in some courtroom somewhere after Belichick slinks away in the dead of night to pop up as another team's head coach.
Nobody wanted that. Thankfully, it didn't happen.
Belichick was classy to the end, putting a great face on this and even, get this, thanked the media.
Thank you, Coach Belichick. pic.twitter.com/N13NSSbeon
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 11, 2024
But it was when Belichick talked about the fans that you saw real emotion and Belichick's voice began to crack.
"And finally, to the fans," Belichick said. "The fans here are amazing. I have so many memories of the fans – the send-offs, the parades, the Sundays, whatever the situations are. The letters of support, seeing the fans away from here, at a gas station, at a grocery store, or wherever you bump into them – our Patriot fans here, not just in New England, but they extend nationally and even internationally as I’ve traveled. It's amazing how far the arm reaches. We saw that this year in Germany. So appreciative of the fans for all the support they've given me, my family and this football team.
"It's with so many fond memories and thoughts that I think about the Patriots. 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, am excited for the future. But, I am always very appreciative of the opportunity here, the support here, and Robert, what you’ve done for me."
From here, all of that deserves a standing ovation.
I'm sure there will be some who question the validity of what we saw on Thursday. I'm sure there will be tales told in time about how this maybe didn't go quite as well. But that's not what most fans will remember.
This felt authentic. This was emotional. While both talked about a celebration, it was also a little bit sad.
6 Super Bowl titles.
9 conference championships
17 division titles
11 consecutive division titles
30 playoff victories
You'll never see anything like that again.
But nothing lasts forever. All you're left with is lasting images. The one of Kraft and Belichick smiling and hugging will last a long time.
So will the fact that they did what was in the best interest of the team — then and now.