Bill Belichick Takes Serious Action Against Patriots Scouts Despite Robert Kraft Promising Him a Statue

Old wounds are showing from that messy breakup with New England. And to add salt to the wound, Bill Belichick’s much-speculated college football debut took an ugly turn. The 73-year-old watched North Carolina get stomped 48-14 by TCU, surrendering the most points ever in a Tar Heels season opener. That performance was a message, but that isn’t the only headline surrounding UNC HC after Week 1…

The real kicker here is that the same man who built his empire in New England is now banning Patriots scouts from UNC practices. On John Middlekauff’s namesake show on September 3, word dropped that Belichick had flat-out closed the doors to his old employer. “I was told by multiple people that he has banned the New England Patriots,” Middlekauff said. “If you’re a scout for the New England Patriots, you are not allowed at the University of North Carolina, which is funny but kind of embarrassing.” Because Mr. Patriots himself is keeping his old team outside the gates. 

It’s a strange move because for over two decades, Bill Belichick pocketed an estimated $200 million under owner Robert Kraft, stacked up six Super Bowl rings, and became the boogeyman of the NFL with Tom Brady at his side. And yet here he is, essentially firing a shot back at the house that made him a legend. But his exit wasn’t exactly pretty. His final Patriots season ended at 4-13, capped off by a gut-punch loss to the Jets. The Kraft family framed the split as “mutual,” but Kraft himself later admitted he “fired” the HC. Add in Belichick’s recent jab at Patriots president Jonathan Kraft, and it’s safe to say the breakup has been messier than meets the eye. 

Bill Belichick, though, still has the resume of a titan. 266 regular-season wins. 30 playoff victories. Six Lombardi Trophies. A total of 333 combined wins, second only to Don Shula. Numbers like that don’t vanish just because he’s wearing Carolina blue now. But the bans and barbs show a man still nursing old wounds. But as Middlekauff added, “It got ugly and he lost and he got fired. You know what that’s called? Football. Tom Landry got fired. Andy Reid got fired. Pete Carroll got fired. People get fired. But to ban the New England Patriots is like an F U to Robert Kraft.”

But maybe his UNC debut only twisted the narrative further. Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels looked flat, unprepared, and overwhelmed. “We have quite a bit to work on,” he admitted afterward, trying to downplay the disaster. The presence of Michael Jordan, Lawrence Taylor, and Mia Hamm in the stands only made the loss more humiliating. Maybe that’s exactly why the HC flexed his authority against the scouting community. And yet, while he remains firm on his grounds, Robert Kraft is playing a different game entirely.

Robert Kraft promises to honor Bill Belichick 

Despite the frost in their relationship, Robert Kraft told WBZ-TV this week he intends to immortalize Bill Belichick with a statue outside Gillette Stadium, right next to Tom Brady’s. “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,” he said. “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.” The plan is already on the owner’s timeline. 

In Foxboro, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick are forever linked, even though they are no longer together. But in Chapel Hill, the HC is starting from scratch, trying to prove the game hasn’t passed him by. The NFL’s past is cemented, but right now, the UNC present is shaky. If he doesn’t right the Tar Heels quickly, the only thing coming sooner than victories might be that bronze statue in Massachusetts. 

For now, the greatest Patriot is also the newest Tar Heel. The clock is ticking. The story isn’t finished for Billy Belichick.