Patriots Rumors: Staffers Learned Of Bill Belichick Exit Via Social Media

The Patriots did their best to make Bill Belichick's departure as clean as possible, but it still was rough around the edges.

That includes not giving certain staffers a heads-up about Belichick's imminent exit from the franchise, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. Some members of the Patriots front office even found out about Belichick's "mutual" split from the Patriots via social media.

"Longer-tenured members of the organization are in shock about today's decision," Kyed wrote on the X platform. "A sense of denial that this was actually going to happen."

Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal corroborated Kyed's report while adding his own intel.

"The longer this played out -- these last few days felt like an eternity -- I let myself think, maybe we got a chance," one staffer told Giardi.

Belichick addressed reporters Thursday afternoon and even got choked up while delivering a statement. Franchise owner Robert Kraft also delivered a statement and, two hours later, fielded questions from media members.

When asked to provide a timeline for hiring a new head coach and/or general manager, Kraft indicated Patriots fans won't have to wait too long to learn what the future holds in New England.

"We will try to move very quickly," he said.