Patriots Rumors: How Bill Belichick Handled New England Exit

While Monday morning’s remarks indicated Bill Belichick was prepared to play hardball with the Patriots, the sides apparently settled on an amicable split.

New England and Belichick are set to go their separate ways after 24 seasons together, according to multiple reports. In a column published early Thursday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss shed light on how Belichick, and franchise owner Robert Kraft, handled the divorce.

“From sources familiar with those conversations, there was said to be no conflict, no disagreement, and in the end, productive talks resulted in a mutual decision that left both sides comfortable and at ease,” Schefter and Reiss wrote.

“Both Belichick and Kraft, as one outside party noted, ‘took the high road,’ which was appropriate for an owner-coach tandem that will go down as one of the greatest and most decorated in NFL history.”

Belichick now is free to join any team, and according to Reiss and Schefter, the future Pro Football Hall of Famer is expected to draw interest from “some” of the current teams with head coaching vacancies, including the Atlanta Falcons.

The Patriots, meanwhile, now will embark on their first coaching search since the turn of the century. Reiss and Schefter reported Jerod Mayo might be the leading candidate, but the recently fired Mike Vrabel figures to be in the mix as well.