Patriots Rumors: 'Bad Blood' with Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft 'Was No Secret' in NFL

The deterioration of the relationship between New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former longtime Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reportedly became a topic of conversation within the NFL last season.

According to ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler, more than a dozen sources with knowledge of the situation said the "bad blood" between Kraft and Belichick was "no secret" around the league.

Belichick served as the Pats' head coach for 24 years and led them to unprecedented success, winning six Super Bowls during that time.

However, Belichick and the Patriots mutually agreed to part ways after going 4-13 last season, and he was replaced by Jerod Mayo.

Despite his Hall of Fame résumé, no team hired Belichick to be their new head coach after he left New England this offseason.

Per Natta, Wickersham and Fowler, the falling out between Belichick and Kraft was believed to have played a role in teams shying away from hiring Belichick, but it went even deeper than that.

Throughout his tenure in New England, Belichick essentially served as both the head coach and general manager, which is an increasingly rare combination in the NFL.

Both that and Belichick's leadership style reportedly made teams wary of hiring him, and that resulted in the most accomplished head coach in NFL history getting passed over during the hiring cycle.

The team that showed the most interest in Belichick was the Atlanta Falcons, and per Natta, Wickersham and Fowler, Belichick "pledged his willingness to co-exist with Falcons executives" during meetings with those executives and owner Arthur Blank.

Belichick reportedly said he just wanted to coach, which would have been a significant departure from the power he had in New England, but those in charge of the Falcons weren't convinced it would work.

Additionally, sources indicated that Blank spoke with Kraft about the possibility of hiring Belichick, and during those conversations, Kraft warned Blank not to trust Belichick.

Kraft reportedly also told Blank he would "never have a warm conversation with" Belichick, which clashed with Blank's desire to create a family atmosphere.

Ultimately, Kraft's assessment of Belichick "was a big part" of why the Falcons passed on him, according to one source.

Instead of Belichick, the Falcons hired former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris.

Now, Belichick is set to sit the 2024 season out, marking the first time since 1975 that he has not coached in the NFL in some capacity.

Given that Belichick was already passed over once and is now 72 years of age, his coaching future is now quite murky.

According to Natta, Wickersham and Fowler, sources have suggested that Belichick's list of suitors will be "limited" next season as well.

If Belichick has coached his last NFL game, he will go down as the third-most winningest regular-season head coach in NFL history with 302 victories.