It’s a new era in Foxborough.

That was true when Tom Brady left the Patriots in 2020, but 2024 brought a very different kind of change when legendary coach Bill Belichick was fired after 24 years.

New England’s success under Belichick is unquestionable: The team has won six Super Bowls and posted 17 consecutive double-digit winning seasons. But the path forward is much more uncertain, with the Patriots pinning their hopes on a much younger head coach and rookie QB Drake Maye to revitalize the franchise in the coming years.

Here’s why owner Robert Kraft decided after more than two decades it was time to move on from Belichick and start over.

Why did the Patriots fire Bill Belichick?

The Patriots did not describe Belichick’s departure as a firing, but Kraft made it clear in the press conference announcing the move that he had made the final decision.

“In this business, results matter,” Kraft said, explaining, “What has happened here in the last three or four years is not what we want.”

There have been plenty of losses over the last 3-4 years. While there have been highlights, including a 10-win season and a playoff appearance in Mac Jones’ rookie season, the Patriots have had three losses in four years and have seen a sharp decline in their offense.

The Patriots finished a dismal 4-13 in 2023, their worst record in 31 years, thanks to a sluggish offense that ranked last in the NFL at 13.9 points per game.

The deal was set for Belichick all season. Preseason reports suggested the legendary coach was under a lot of pressure to perform to keep his job, and during the season it was reported that Kraft had already made a decision, so the move was hardly a surprise when it was announced four days after the season ended.

Results were the deciding factor behind the Patriots’ decision to part ways with Belichick, but that’s not necessarily an indictment of his abilities as a coach. His hard-nosed methods worked during the Brady era, but they just weren’t as effective with the current group in New England.

Belichick was in the unique position of being able to blame the Patriots’ personnel failures solely on himself. He was New England’s head of football operations, and the franchise had been set back by a number of unsuccessful drafts in recent years.

Kraft admitted in January that he had considered stripping Belichick of his front office duties after so long and keeping him only as head coach, but he concluded that stripping him of power and giving it to someone else would “create confusion” and simply wouldn’t work.

The final decision was to part ways for good. Kraft and Belichick described the decision as “mutual,” but it clearly came from the top.

Who is the new coach of the Patriots?

Jerod Mayo was named head coach of the Patriots one day after the team parted ways with Belichick.

While Mayo deviates from Belichick’s tough mentality, he doesn’t represent a completely different direction than the future Hall of Famer. Mayo played eight seasons under Belichick and coached another five seasons under him as the Patriots’ inside linebackers coach and eventually as their top defensive assistant.

Mayo won his head coaching debut with the Patriots, leading New England to an upset win over the Bengals in Week 1 before suffering an overtime loss to the Seahawks in Week 2. The Patriots have exceeded their low expectations at the start of the season, and any improvement over last season’s win total could make 2024 a success in the eyes of fans.

Where is Bill Belichick now?

Kraft indicated at his January press conference announcing the move that it would be uncomfortable to see Belichick on the sideline wearing another team’s hoodie, but the 72-year-old did not land a head coaching job this offseason.

Belichick interviewed for the Falcons job and reportedly impressed in his first interview with owner Arthur Blank, but concerns about giving the legendary coach too much power led Atlanta to go in a different direction. The Falcons eventually hired Raheem Morris.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that Belichick’s coaching career is over. Reports suggest that he hasn’t given up on coaching yet, and many speculate that the Eagles and Cowboys could be attractive destinations for him.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is likely facing a crucial year, while Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy barely survived an early playoff exit last season and is on the hot seat in 2024.

In the meantime, Belichick has been busy. He has joined The CW Network as an analyst on “Inside the NFL” and appears weekly on “The Pat McAfee Show.” Belichick has been on McAfee’s NFL Draft broadcast since April and has also been a regular on “Monday Night Football’s” Manningcast this season.

Belichick recently joined Instagram and says he wants to share his thoughts there “immediately.”

As coach of the Patriots, Belichick was a fiery personality, at least in public, but since his firing in January he has shown a softer side in the media. A return as coach could quickly bring back the old Belichick.