It’s now one of the almost mythical stories in the NFL’s history, as Bill Belichick wrote his resignation from the New York Jets on a napkin to take over as the New England Patriots head coach. In the process, two rival franchises diverged in opposite directions for the 21st century.
Today, Belichick admits that using a napkin for his resignation may not have been the best choice.
“Yeah, in retrospect, I don’t think that was the greatest choice,” Belichick said during an appearance on Pardon My Take. “It certainly did [get the message across]. It did in a very, I don’t know. It wasn’t the classiest thing I’ve ever done. I’ll say that. I was in a mood at that time.”
Belichick had a pretty good reason for the move. He didn’t want to work with any of the potential owners the Jets would have. So, when he had the opportunity to go to the Patriots, he jumped on it.
“I had worked for Modell and the two trains coming down the track were Dolan and Woody Johnson. I just felt like I’m — I don’t feel comfortable with whichever one of those guys ends up with the team. Nothing personal. I just had a bad experience (with Modell) and I was — either I’m going to work for a good owner or an owner that I felt comfortable with, who would share a vision with or — I’m not working for that,” Belichick concluded.
It ended up working well for Belichick and the Patriots. They would end up winning six Super Bowls together. Meanwhile, the Jets have had nine winning seasons and six playoff appearances, never making the Super Bowl, since Belichick resigned on a napkin.
Bill Belichick Had an Awkward Exit from New England Patriots, Robert Kraft
GettyNew England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and former head coach Bill Belichick
For all of the success that Bill Belichick had with the New England Patriots, there was tension at the end. It became pretty clear that owner Robert Kraft regretted keeping Belichick and moving on from Tom Brady, particularly as Brady won another Super Bowl and the Patriots found less and less on-field success.
So, the Patriots effectively forced Belichick out. That’s led to some tension since then, particularly since he’s landed with North Carolina.
While at North Carolina, Belichick has banned Patriots scouts from the team facilities. That’s a very strange move for any college team to do, but when Belichick was asked about it, he said, “It’s clear I’m not welcome there at their facility. So they’re not welcome at ours. Very simple.”
On top of that, last Fall, there were reports that Belichick also banned the team from promoting the Patriots in any way. That included posting highlights of quarterback Drake Maye, who played at North Carolina for the previous coaching staff.
Time may heal all wounds. For now, though, the tension remains high between Belichick and the Patriots.
Bill Belichick is Looking for a Bounce-Back Season at UNC
GettyNorth Carolina head coach Bill Belichick
For the 2025 season, Bill Belichick took his first job coaching in college, leading the North Carolina program. There were plenty of theories as to why, at the time, be it that he missed coaching, felt it was a way to get back to the NFL, or just genuinely wanted a new challenge. Regardless, many expected Belichick to dominate college.
That didn’t happen in his first season. North Carolina went 4-8 in 2025 under Belichick, and it could have been worse. They lost their first five games against Power Four opponents before dropping their final three games of the season against Wake Forest, Duke, and NC State, respectively.
At the same time, Belichick has been followed by gossip off the field. In particular, as it relates to his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.
Now, Belichick needs to find a way to turn things around at North Carolina. Otherwise, he runs the risk of an embarrassing epilogue to his career.
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