Patriots Rumors: How Bill Belichick Criticized Krafts Before Exit

The Patriots on Thursday reached a conclusion that was arguably overdue.

Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft were ready to move on from one another, and they mutually agreed to go their separate ways four days after New England's miserable 2023 season came to an end. The titans of industry went through a lot together including plenty of hardships, which were highlighted in a revelatory ESPN column published Friday.

Among the most noteworthy details provided by Seth Wickersham and Wright Thompson was how Belichick operated at the tail end of his Patriots tenure. The longtime head coach apparently saw the writing on the wall, and an exit wasn't something he feared.

"Belichick had sent clear signals internally for weeks that he thought he was coaching his final games for the Patriots," Wickersham and Thompson wrote. "He also made it clear that he was ready to move on, telling confidants that Robert Kraft and his son, team president Jonathan Kraft, had eroded the culture he had built over two decades."

Criticisms reportedly came from the other direction, too. According to Wickersham and Thompson, Robert Kraft openly mocked Belichick in recent years and put him down "at every opportunity." Similarly, Jonathan Kraft apparently was "brutal" to Belichick and campaigned for his departure toward the end of the 2022 campaign.

As such, it was time for all parties involved to start fresh. The Krafts are hoping new head coach Jerod Mayo can help restore Super Bowl contender status in New England, while Belichick has a chance to grow his legend with a new team.