NFL rumors: Are Patriots owed draft compensation by whoever hires Bill Belichick?

After 24 years of dominance, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have mutually agreed to part ways. During the first two decades of his time at the helm, Belichick held the rest of the NFL in a stranglehold. In the past four years, however, that grip had loosened.

Belichick's brilliance as a football strategist and historian has always been undeniable, but his public persona and cutthroat coaching style soured many players and media members. In 2000, Patriots owner Robert Kraft decided to take a chance and hired Belichick as his head coach anyway, but it wasn't easy. At the time, Belichick was under contract with the New York Jets, and although he attempted to infamously announce his resignation during his introductory press conference, the Jets weren't willing to let him walk without compensation. After a legal battle, Kraft agreed to trade multiple draft picks to the Jets, including a first-round pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, in exchange for Belichick.

Now, with Belichick's reign in New England coming to an end, Patriots fans are wondering if the team will receive some compensation from whichever team pursues Belichick.

Can the New England Patriots expect any compensation from Bill Belichick's next team?

Belichick is expected to continue coaching and will undoubtedly draw interest from one of the many teams with vacancies at head coach. This time around, any team that pursues Belichick will be able to obtain his services with a lot less controversy. While Belichick still had one year remaining on his contract with New England, he will be allowed to leave the team without the Patriots seeking compensation.

The mutual agreement to part ways signals that the two parties negotiated a termination agreement, according to Michael McCann, a legal expert for Sportico. In that case, Belichick can join another team without New England having a right to receive any compensation.

This isn't the first time Kraft has let an all-time great leave the team with full control of their future. In 2020, the Patriots also allowed Tom Brady to leave the Patriots without any compensation. In both cases, it's the right thing to do. The duo brought New England to nine Super Bowl appearances and won six Super Bowl championships. After all, taking significant draft compensation would only hurt Belichick's chances of building a winning program with his new team.

An amicable split without conflict or controversy shows appreciation and grace for an all-time great head coach, even if it means there won't be any additional draft picks coming to New England.