Robert Kraft Makes Bill Belichick Kiss Joke Amid Patriots Farewell

Bill Belichick battled emotion and illness when he said goodbye to the Patriots on Thursday afternoon.

Four days after New England's 2023 season finale, Belichick and Robert Kraft revealed they mutually decided to go their separate ways. The divorce marked the end of the most successful coaching run in NFL history, which saw Belichick help lead the Patriots to six Super Bowl champions.

The two titans of industry came together for an embrace after Kraft finished reading his statement, but it was rather fleeting and didn't look especially warm. But as Kraft explained before the pair left the podium in Foxboro, Mass., he didn't want to catch what Belichick was battling.

"He's got a cold, so I'm not going to kiss him," Kraft told reporters.

Kraft now will focus on the Patriots' first head coaching search in over two decades, which is expected to feature multiple candidates with New England roots including Jerod Mayo. Belichick, meanwhile, hits the open market in an advantageous offseason when seven teams had coaching vacancies as of Thursday afternoon.

And with Belichick holding off on retirement, the stage is set for the future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach to possibly return to Gillette Stadium as a visitor in the coming years.