FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- One month after unveiling a bronze statue of former quarterback Tom Brady outside Gillette Stadium, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft shared his hope that it will have company in the future in the form of a Bill Belichick statue.
"When that great 20-year era ended, it was always my intention to commission a statue for both Tommy and Bill when their respective careers were over, playing and coaching," Kraft told WBZ-TV in an interview. "When Bill's coaching career ends, we look forward to sitting down with him and having a statue made to be right next to Tommy."
Brady and Belichick helped the Patriots win six Super Bowl championships before Brady departed New England as a free agent after the 2019 season, and Belichick's 24-year tenure as head coach ended after the 2023 season.
Kraft and Belichick announced their split on Jan. 11, 2024, while standing together at Gillette Stadium, but beneath the surface, there were strained relations that later came to the forefront.
Belichick was painted in an unflattering light in the Patriots documentary "The Dynasty." Last week, in an interview with The Boston Globe prior to his coaching debut at the University of North Carolina, Belichick spoke of how it was easier there to create a shared vision and said, "There's no owner, there's no owner's son."
Kraft's remarks about a future statue for Belichick come four days before his team opens the 2025 season at home against the Las Vegas Raiders, which will be the first game under new coach Mike Vrabel.
Vrabel played for the Patriots from 2001 to 2008 and was part of three Super Bowl championship teams.