Bill Belichick's Patriots legacy: The NFL's greatest dynasty - ESPN

We've officially closed the book on the greatest dynasty in the history of the NFL. The Patriots and coach Bill Belichick parted ways Thursday, ending a tenure that lasted nearly a quarter of a century. In an era in which the league's rules are designed to produce parity and short-term success, Belichick's New England teams went 266-121 and made it to nine Super Bowls, winning six. They had a stretch of 17 division championships in 19 seasons. We might never see another NFL coach put together a two-decade spell like his again.

Of course, you can't tell the story of the league over the past 25 years without a heavy dose of Belichick. He figures into so many of the most dramatic moments and compelling stories in recent NFL history, both as the beloved underdog and the hated favorite. He's one of the few coaches in American sports to transcend many of its players; show someone who isn't a football fan a photo of a dour-looking man wearing a hoodie with cutoff sleeves and they'll probably be able to identify that it's Belichick.

Subscribe: «The Bill Barnwell Show»

We've seen the clips of Belichick's most notable moments in New England so many times, but actually considering them from how he impacted things as opposed to from the perspective of his players and using the benefit of a modern perspective reinforces how unique and remarkable Belichick's tenure in New England was, both good and bad. There are a couple of questions about Belichick's future I want to get to at the end, but there's so much to say about the past that needs to be considered as we evaluate one of the landmark coaching tenures of our lifetime. To get a sense of what happened and how we'll look at his time with the Patriots in the decades to come,