Patriots Rumors: Robert Kraft Took 'High Road' Instead of Trading Bill Belichick

Bill Belichick will forever be a New England Patriots legend, and team owner Robert Kraft reportedly chose a mutual parting of ways instead of trading the head coach.

ESPN's Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss reported the Patriots and Belichick will end their time together Thursday following multiple meetings and conversations between the head coach and Kraft.

"Both Belichick and Kraft, as one outside party noted, 'took the high road,' which was fitting for an owner-coach tandem that will go down as one of the greatest and most decorated in NFL history," Schefter and Reiss wrote.

Later Thursday, Kraft explained why he didn't look into Belichick's trade market:

That means Belichick can leave the Patriots without the AFC East team receiving compensation in return.

Such a pathway is notable because Schefter and Reiss pointed out he wants to remain in coaching even at 71 years old and would presumably "draw interest from at least some of the other seven NFL teams that have head-coaching vacancies, quite possibly the Atlanta Falcons."

Remaining in coaching is the only way Belichick will become the NFL's all-time leader in career victories.

He has 333 wins in his career, including the playoffs, which is 14 behind Don Shula's record mark of 347. Given the trajectory of the Patriots over the past couple of years, it likely would have taken him plenty of time to break the record had he stayed put.

Going elsewhere will allow him to find a better team and presumably become the all-time wins leader more expediently.

While Belichick is arguably the greatest coach of all time with six Super Bowl wins and nine Super Bowl appearances during his time with the Patriots, the vast majority of that success came with the legendary Tom Brady under center.

New England hasn't won a playoff game since Brady left following the 2019 campaign and was a combined 12-22 the past two years. Mac Jones also looks like anything but a franchise cornerstone and successor to the all-time great, especially after he was benched at times this past season.

Kraft and Belichick coming to terms on the decision means they avoid any type of ugly breakup or drama that might come with another disappointing season or two.

It also means he will be on a different sideline if he breaks the record by continuing to coach.