Tom Brady pays emotional tribute to Bill Belichick after HC’s Patriots exit: “I could never have been the player I was without you”

The New England Patriots are in a new era as Bill Belichick is no longer the head coach, and his former star, Tom Brady, has paid tribute to the man who helped win multiple Super Bowls.

At a point where many head coaches have moved on from their roles, which included Mike Vrabel, Pete Carroll and even Alabama's Nick Saban, with the questions surrounding Belichick, many felt it was a matter of time.

Given that Belichick had every intention of returning to his post as head coach, there are now rumors that he might not be done coaching in the NFL.

But let's put that to one side for now, as the plaudits for what Belichick was able to do in his time in New England are coming thick and fast, with one coming from the man who helped him create a dynasty that lasted two decades - Tom Brady.

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Tom Brady pays tribute to Bill Belichick

Tom Brady and Bill Belichick were an unbelievable duo during their time in New England as the Patriots became juggernauts in the NFL and, at times, were unstoppable. Many argue about who was more responsible for the Patriots' success, Brady or Belichick, but neither could have done it without the other.

With Belichick moving on, Brady posted a heartfelt message to his former coach via his Instagram page.

"I’m incredibly grateful to have played for the best coach in the history of the NFL," Tom Brady wrote. "He was a great leader for the organization and for all of the players who played for him.

"We accomplished some amazing things over a long period of time, many of which will be hard to replicate. He worked every day to help us achieve the ultimate goal, in the ultimate team sport. And although we were successful, some of the greatest lessons I learned were in the moments where we faced the most challenging adversities.

"He set the tone for the organization to never falter in the face of adversity and to do what we could do and what was in our control, which was to go out and DO OUR JOB. I could never have been the player I was without you, Coach Belichick. I am forever grateful. And I wish you the best of luck in whatever you choose next."

It is a changing of the guard in New England, and now owner Robert Kraft will be looking for Belichick's successor.

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Tom Brady and Bill Belichick: A storied duo

Tom Brady and Belichick are responsible for one of the longest runs at the top in any sport, which spanned over two decades.

During that time, Tom Brady, with the help of Belichick, transformed New England into a beacon of high-level production with the help of the "Patriot way," which was an all-out buy-in, and no one was bigger than the team.

Brady and Belichick helped the Patriots win six Super Bowls, and they were AFC champions on three other occasions as well.

Belichick's record in New England makes for good reading as he was 266-121 in his 24 years as Patriots coach.

As for Brady, he was 219-64 during his time in New England, which included making the playoffs in 11 consecutive seasons. He was 35-13 in the playoffs.

The pair were superb together, and they, along with everyone else in that building for those two decades, created a team that made so much history. Given what they accomplished, no other franchise is likely to ever get close.