New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick surprised the sports world by announcing his retirement during a heartfelt conference alongside Robert Kraft on Thursday. As fans were emotionally witnessing the legendary coach’s farewell speech, Belichick, in a thoughtful gesture, infused some humor into his words.
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Belichick isn’t someone who acts witty and funny during press conferences, so when he did crack a joke, one might say it was a special occasion. He opened his speech by playfully teasing the media and poking fun at the Patriots’ former quarterback, Tim Tebow.
The eight-time Super Bowl champion head coach stepped on the podium donning a checkered blue suit while matching it with a white shirt and a blue tie. It was quite a departure from his usual coaching attire. As it was a significant moment in the history of the NFL, there was a big pool of reporters present to capture Belichick’s last presser as a Patriot.
With the Patriots owner by his side, the legendary head coach started his speech with a simple “Good morning.” He couldn’t help but notice the larger-than-usual crowd of reporters compared to his usual game-time press conferences. Seizing the moment, Bill Belichick remarked,
“I haven’t seen this many cameras since we’ve signed [Tim] Tebow.”
“I haven’t seen this many cameras since we signed Tebow” – Bill Belichick
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) January 11, 2024
Belichick’s decision to start his speech with a joke caught the people present off guard. His initial words were met with only a few giggles in the very silent room, as they might have anticipated an emotional start. However, as the realization of the joke settled in, the atmosphere lightened, and Belichick continued his speech with a smile.
Tim Tebow’s Humble Response to Belichick
Tim Tebow, who had a short-lived NFL career and played in only two pre-season games for the Patriots, took to X (formerly Twitter) to address Belichick’s farewell speech. He humbly acknowledged his own brief stint with the New England Patriots while extending warm congratulations to Bill Belichick. The former quarterback wrote,
“That’s about all I did lol. Congrats on being one of the greatest ever Coach!”
That’s about all I did lol. Congrats on being one of the greatest ever Coach! https://t.co/tfXsBWxjeu
— Tim Tebow (@TimTebow) January 11, 2024
The Denver Broncos selected Tim Tebow in the first round of the 2010 NFL draft. He entered the league after a successful collegiate career at Florida, where he won two national championships and also clinched the Heisman in 2007.
Unfortunately, Tim Tebow failed to replicate his college success in the NFL. He had a three-season stint—two with the Denver Broncos and one with the New York Jets. In 2013, after getting released by the Jets, he signed a 2-year, $1.385 million deal with the New England Patriots. However, the Patriots released him two months later, and he couldn’t secure a spot with any of the other 31 NFL teams for that season.
