New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has amassed quite the resume during his lengthy career, much of it coming from the fruitful partnership between the legendary coach and star quarterback Tom Brady.
How has Belichick fared as a head coach without Brady?
What Is Bill Belichick’s Record Without Tom Brady?
Belichick holds numerous NFL records for his legendary exploits as a head coach.
The two-decade-plus leader of the Patriots has won an NFL record six Super Bowls across his 24 seasons coaching the team. He holds records for Super Bowl appearances as a head coach (nine), playoff wins as a head coach (31), and divisional championships as a head coach (17), among other accolades.
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Much of that success has come with the legendary Brady leading Belichick’s squads.
In a story that has been told time and time again, Brady took over as New England’s starting quarterback early in the 2001 season after Drew Bledsoe suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 of the campaign. The sixth-round pick led the Patriots to victory in Super Bowl 36 and thus began his legendary run with the franchise.
Brady started all 16 of the team’s regular-season games in all but two of his next 18 seasons with the franchise. He led the team to five more Super Bowls in 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016, and 2018 before departing after the 2019 campaign to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Belichick’s record in 179 games as an NFL head coach without Brady as his starting quarterback is 82-97, including a 1-2 mark in the playoffs.
That includes a 36-44 record in his five years leading the Cleveland Browns, a 5-13 mark with New England before Brady made his first start, a 10-5 tally across Matt Cassel’s 15 starts in 2008 after Brady suffered a season-ending knee injury, a 3-1 start in 2016 while Brady served a suspension and a 27-33 record since Brady left following the 2019 season.
Belichick’s one playoff win without Brady came during his lone winning season with the Browns in 1994. Cleveland went 11-5 in the regular season and won its first-round postseason game by a 20-13 score against, coincidentally, the Patriots.
Could Belichick’s Reign End Soon?
Rumors have swirled in recent years that New England could look to move on from Belichick, given the team’s struggles in the post-Brady era.
That speculation intensified back in October when national NFL reporter Albert Breer said that Patriots owner Robert Kraft has had discussions dating back to January 2023 about moving on from Belichick. He also mentioned that Kraft has heard fans’ frustrations with Belichick and is cognizant of the franchise’s diminishing status in the league.
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Inside linebackers coach Jerod Mayo has long been rumored to be the franchise’s coach-in-waiting for the post-Belichick era. The longtime New England linebacker helped the franchise win Super Bowl 49 and has served on the Patriots’ coaching staff for several years under Belichick.
Whenever Belichick is ultimately no longer New England’s head coach, whether by his own choice or the organization’s, it will mark the end of a historic era for the franchise.
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