New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football franchise that serves as one of the most prominent sports institutions in the Greater Boston area. The team competes in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) East division and plays home games at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 22 miles southwest of Boston. Founded in 1959 as the Boston Patriots, the team was a charter member of the American Football League (AFL) before joining the NFL in 1970 through the AFL–NFL merger. After relocating to Foxborough and rebranding in 1971, the franchise went on to become one of the most decorated in professional football history, winning six Super Bowl championships during a two-decade dynasty anchored by head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.
Founding and the Boston Years
On November 16, 1959, Boston business executive Billy Sullivan was awarded the eighth and final franchise of the developing American Football League. The following winter, locals were allowed to submit ideas for the team's official name. The most common one, and the one that Sullivan selected, was the "Boston Patriots," with "Patriots" referring to those colonists who rebelled against British control during the American Revolution. Immediately thereafter, artist Phil Bissell of The Boston Globe developed the "Pat Patriot" logo.
The Patriots never had a regular home stadium in the AFL; home games were played at various times at Boston University Field, Harvard Stadium, Fenway Park (shared with baseball's Boston Red Sox), and Boston College's Alumni Stadium. This nomadic existence made it difficult for the franchise to build consistent revenue or community ties within the city of Boston itself.
Despite their stadium challenges, the Boston Patriots were competitive on the field. Coach Mike Holovak's best season came in 1963, when the Patriots defeated Buffalo 26–8 in a playoff for the AFL Eastern crown. In the AFL championship game the next week, however, they lost to San Diego 51–10. Gino Cappelletti, the team's placekicker and ace wide receiver, became the AFL's all-time high scorer with 1,100 points. Running back Jim Nance won AFL rushing championships when he rushed for an AFL record 1,458 yards in 1966 and 1,216 yards in 1967.
After the AFL–NFL merger in 1970, the league required that all teams reside in stadiums with at least 50,000 seats. Prior to 1970, the Patriots did not have a regular home stadium. Nickerson Field, Harvard Stadium, Fenway Park, and Alumni Stadium served as home fields during their time in the AFL. None of the four stadiums qualified, and there was little room in Boston for a new stadium. Due to this, discussions about a possible relocation to Tampa, Florida occurred.
Relocation to Foxborough and the Name Change
In 1971, the Patriots moved into a new stadium in suburban Foxborough, Massachusetts, built on land granted by the Bay State Raceway. The team was renamed the New England Patriots on March 22, 1971, to reflect its new location. The new 60,764-seat stadium was located in the town of Foxboro, about 25 miles south of Boston.
The decade following the move brought sporadic but occasionally notable results. Following a string of losing seasons after the AFL–NFL merger, the Patriots became serious contenders in the late 1970s. The 1976 Patriots finished 11–3 and just barely lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders in a first-round playoff game. They won the AFC Eastern championship in 1978 and wound up a close second in 1979. Led by all-time great offensive lineman John Hannah, future Hall of Fame cornerback Mike Haynes, and quarterback Steve Grogan, the Patriots experienced sporadic success in the 1970s and 1980s.
Coach Raymond Berry's 1985 team had an 11–5 record, earned a wild-card playoff berth, won three straight AFC playoff games on the road, and advanced to Super Bowl XX, where the Patriots lost to the Chicago Bears. That game marked the final appearance of guard John Hannah, who in 1991 became the first Patriot elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Eleven years passed before the Patriots returned to the Super Bowl, this time under the guidance of coach Bill Parcells and led by quarterback Drew Bledsoe. New England lost Super Bowl XXXI to the Green Bay Packers, but their postseason appearance marked the beginning of three straight years of playoff football for the team.
The Kraft Ownership Era
A lifelong football fan and 23-year New England Patriots season ticket holder before buying the team, Robert Kraft became the chairman and CEO of the Patriots when he took ownership on January 21, 1994. Kraft's acquisition of the franchise was the result of years of careful maneuvering. Kraft used his ownership of Foxboro Stadium to stage a hostile takeover, offering to pay $175 million for the Patriots franchise knowing that previous owner James Orthwein no longer wanted the team if he could not move it to St. Louis. He finally acquired the team in January 1994, paying $172 million, the highest price for an NFL team up to that time.
In 2002, Kraft financed a $350 million stadium for the Patriots initially called CMGI Field but renamed Gillette Stadium. In 2007, he began to develop the land around Gillette Stadium, creating a $375 million open-air shopping and entertainment center called Patriot Place. Most NFL stadium construction was heavily subsidized by the government, but Kraft built Gillette Stadium with 83 percent private funding. Gillette Stadium's seating capacity is 64,628, including 5,876 club seats and 82 luxury suites.
The stadium is 22 miles southwest of Downtown Boston and serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the NFL and the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. On January 27, 2000, Kraft traded a first-round draft pick to the New York Jets for the rights to hire Bill Belichick as head coach — a deal that would transform the franchise entirely.
The Patriots won 17 AFC East titles since 2001, and reached 10 Super Bowls since Robert Kraft purchased the team in 1994. Robert Kraft and his family have consistently donated time, expertise, and resources to a wide range of charities, nonprofits, and causes, resulting in lifetime giving in excess of $900 million.
The Belichick–Brady Dynasty
The Tom Brady–Bill Belichick era, also known as the Brady–Belichick era or the New England Patriots dynasty, was a sports dynasty of the New England Patriots in the NFL that lasted from the 2000 to the 2019 season. The duo are credited with helping create a team culture, dubbed the "Patriot Way," that emphasizes personal accountability, consistent improvement, and team success over personal gain.
Long-time starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe went down with a sheared blood vessel in his chest in a week two matchup in 2001 against the rival New York Jets. Backup quarterback Tom Brady, drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft, became the starting quarterback. Brady's successful play led to Bledsoe never getting his job back as a starter, and Brady would serve as the franchise's starting quarterback for the next 18 years.
With 1:30 to go and no time-outs, Brady led New England's offense downfield to the Rams' 30-yard line, setting up Adam Vinatieri, who won Super Bowl XXXVI with a 48-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Patriots their first Super Bowl win. Brady was selected Super Bowl MVP. The Patriots' victory parade in Boston was attended by approximately 1.2 million fans.
Under Belichick and Brady, the Patriots played in nine Super Bowls, more than any other NFL franchise, and won a league-record six, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Belichick's run included 24 seasons, six Super Bowl championships, nine Super Bowl trips, 17 AFC East titles, and 13 AFC Championship Game appearances.
Among the dynasty's most memorable moments was the comeback in Super Bowl LI against the Atlanta Falcons. The Patriots overcame a 25-point deficit to beat Atlanta 34–28 in overtime. The Patriots trailed 28–3 with 8:36 to play in the third quarter before scoring 31 points on five of their final six offensive drives to claim the win. The Patriots' 25-point comeback is the largest ever in a Super Bowl.
The Patriots returned to the championship game for a third consecutive season in Super Bowl LIII, where they defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3 to win their sixth Super Bowl, tying them with the Pittsburgh Steelers for most Super Bowl victories in NFL history. After a disappointing 2019 season, the long-time Brady–Belichick partnership was strained, and Brady departed the Patriots after 20 seasons for free agency, signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The New England Patriots and Bill Belichick mutually agreed to part ways in 2024, concluding his 24-year tenure as head coach. In 24 seasons with New England, Belichick delivered six Super Bowl titles, nine conference championships, 17 division crowns, including 11 consecutive division titles, and 30 playoff victories.
Post-Dynasty Era and the Vrabel Turnaround
After Brady's departure in 2020, the Patriots endured several difficult seasons. Following back-to-back 4–13 seasons, the team fired one-and-done head coach Jerod Mayo. On January 12, 2025, Mike Vrabel was hired as the head coach of the New England Patriots, replacing Jerod Mayo. Vrabel was no stranger to the franchise: he is a three-time Super Bowl champion with New England and was voted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2023.
Vrabel led the Patriots to a 14–3 record, giving the team its first playoff berth since 2021, its first AFC East title since 2019, and its best record since 2016. They won 10 games in a row, making Vrabel the first head coach since the AFL–NFL merger to do so in his first season with a team that won no more than five games the previous season.
The New England Patriots finished the 2025 season with a 14–3 record under first-year head coach Vrabel. This was their 12th Super Bowl appearance, extending their record for the most in NFL history. The National Football Conference champion Seattle Seahawks ultimately defeated the AFC champion New England Patriots 29–13 in Super Bowl LX. Vrabel was named AP Coach of the Year for his work in 2025.
Looking ahead, the Patriots also drafted quarterback Drake Maye with the third pick in the 2024 draft, giving the franchise a potential cornerstone at the most important position in football for years to come.
Records and All-Time Leaders
The franchise has compiled an all-time record of 559–449–9 across 66 seasons (1960–2025), with a playoff record of 40–23 and six Super Bowl victories in 12 appearances. All-time franchise records include: passing leader Tom Brady (74,571 yards, 541 touchdowns); rushing leader Sam Cunningham (5,453 yards); receiving leader Stanley Morgan (10,352 yards, 67 touchdowns); and all-time scoring leader Stephen Gostkowski (1,775 points).
The Kraft-era Patriots set three significant NFL records for consecutive wins. From 2003–04, the Patriots won 21 consecutive games including playoffs. From 2006–08, the Patriots won 21 consecutive regular season games. Additionally, the Patriots established an NFL record by winning 10 consecutive playoff games from 2001–05.
By 2024, the New England Patriots were worth an estimated $7.9 billion and were ranked the third most valuable team in the NFL behind the Dallas Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams.
See Also
References
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