For nearly two decades in Massachusetts, Tom Brady made a case for himself as the greatest player in NFL history through his quarterback play for the New England Patriots. With six Super Bowl wins for the team, and MVPs in four of those games (not to mention three regular season MVPs), Brady brought an astonishing consistency and longevity to his work that made New England the NFL's defining dynasty at a time when the league was solidifying itself as America's unchallenged entertainment juggernaut.
When Brady flew south to Tampa, it all fell apart. The Pats posted a winning season just once in four years, and their lone playoff appearance was a humiliation at the hands of a hungry Buffalo squad that never used to put up a fight. Now, after a rock bottom 4-13 year that included some of the worst quarterback play this franchise has seen all millennium, a familiar presence on the sideline from those glory days is calling it quits with the team.
William "Bill" Belichick, the Patriots' head coach since 2000, is now free to seek other opportunities. He and owner Robert Kraft, according to ESPN, spent some time chatting after their season ended and made a mutual decision to part ways with one year left on Belichick's contract. Several coaching and coordinator jobs are available across the NFL, so he'll likely draw interest from at least a few teams who can bring themselves to ignore what his players have put to tape since Brady's departure.
Belichick leaves New England in a tie for the record of most losses by a coach in NFL history.
