The New England Patriots were nothing short of a dynasty under head coach Bill Belichick and legendary quarterback Tom Brady, as they won six Super Bowls. Unfortunately, the dynasty didn’t get to ride off into the sunset on its own terms.
Brady left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after an internal spat with Belichick, where he would go on to win another Super Bowl before retiring the most decorated quarterback of all time. Belichick’s ending in the NFL wasn’t quite as storybook-worthy.
After disappointing seasons with quarterback Mac Jones, Belichick was ousted and failed to get another coaching job in the NFL. Belichick has since accepted a head coaching role with the North Carolina Tar Heels.
After one season under head coach Jerod Mayo, the Pats have moved on to Mike Vrable as the new head coach. Belichick spoke about his expectations of Vrabel as he tries to live up to the lofty standards set by Belichick and Brady for the franchise.
“I’ve stayed in pretty close contact with Mike Vrabel and I have a ton of respect for him.
“He’s a great football coach and I’m sure he’ll do a great job in New England,” Belichick said in an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
"I've stayed in pretty close contact with Mike Vrabel and I have a ton of respect for him..
He's a great football coach and I'm sure he'll do a great job in New England" ~ Coach Belichick#PMSLive #NEPats pic.twitter.com/lRgr89trm2
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 13, 2025
Fans reacted to Belichick’s statement on social media.
“It’s pretty clear Mayo was just a place holder for 1 season and Vrable is the actual guy that is replacing Belichick and to any extent that someone can be compared to Belichick, it’ll be Vrable,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“He said more kind words about Vrabes in that clip than he did all season about Mayo,” one fan added.
“Aww, that’s what we like to see! A smile! We’re thrilled that the Vrabel hire has made Belichick happy,” added someone else.
It’ll be interesting to see how Vrabel does in his first season in New England.
