During his 24-year run with the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick created a legacy that stands tall across all sports. That’s why it was so shocking to hear the news that the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach mutually agreed to part ways with the Patriots on Thursday.
The reasons were all obviously there.
New England is headed towards a complete rebuild, and it made no sense to go down that road with a 71-year-old coach. The team was coming off back-to-back losing seasons, and this season, they finished with a 4-13 record and last place in the AFC East division.
It was time.
Throughout the day, current and past Patriots players, along with players and coaches across other sports, reacted on social media to the Belichick news.
Belichick is expected to continue coaching elsewhere, but in many ways, it still felt like a retirement with him leaving New England. Here’s what athletes were saying on social media: