New England Patriots
On the 16th of November 1959, Boston business executive Billy Sullivan received the eighth and final franchise of the developing American Football League. The following winter, locals submitted ideas for the team name, with "Boston Patriots" emerging as the most popular choice. Artist Phil Bissell of The Boston Globe developed the "Pat Patriot" logo shortly after. The franchise never secured a regular home stadium during its AFL years. Home games were played at various times at Boston University Field, Harvard Stadium, Fenway Park, and Boston College's Alumni Stadium. The 1963 season saw the franchise win its first playoff game against Buffalo to clinch the division. They subsequently lost the AFL championship game to the San Diego Chargers by a score of 51, 10. The team did not appear in another postseason game for the next 13 years.
In 2000, the Patriots hired head coach Bill Belichick, who had served as defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells including during Super Bowl XXXI. Long-time starting quarterback Drew Bledsoe went down with a sheared blood vessel in his chest in a week two match-up in 2001 against the rival New York Jets. Backup quarterback Tom Brady became the starting quarterback and never lost the job again. Under Belichick and Brady, the team won three Super Bowls in four seasons between 2001 and 2004. They defeated the St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, and Philadelphia Eagles respectively. In the 2007 regular season, the Patriots finished with a perfect 16, 0 record. This was only the fourth team in league history to go undefeated in the regular season since the schedule expanded to 16 games. During that same season, the league disciplined the team for videotaping New York Jets' defensive coaches' signals from an unauthorized location on the 9th of September 2007. The NFL fined head coach Bill Belichick $500,000 and the team $250,000. They also docked the team their original first-round selection in the 2008 NFL draft.
The franchise moved to Foxborough, Massachusetts, in 1971 after playing at various stadiums throughout Boston including Fenway Park from 1963 to 1969. Billy Sullivan sold the team in 1988 to Victor Kiam, who later sold it to James Orthwein in 1992. Orthwein planned to move the team to his native St. Louis as the St. Louis Stallions but could not secure a stadium deal. Robert Kraft purchased the franchise for $175 million on the 21st of January 1994, having already bought Foxboro Stadium out of bankruptcy in 1988. A $350 million facility privately financed by Robert Kraft opened in 2002 called Gillette Stadium. It replaced the aging Foxboro Stadium which was demolished that same year. From 1971 to 2002, the Patriots played in the privately funded Foxboro Stadium. The final game there was a 16, 13 overtime win over the visiting Oakland Raiders known for the raging snowstorm and the "tuck rule" call. Since 2002, the home stadium has been Gillette Stadium located 22 miles outside Boston.
During a the 12th of December 1982, home game against the Miami Dolphins under icy conditions, the game remained scoreless until the fourth quarter. Coach Ron Meyer motioned to snowplow operator Mark Henderson to clear a spot on the field for kicker John Smith. Smith kicked what proved to be the game-winning 33-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 3, 0 win. Dolphins head coach Don Shula protested the result claiming it violated league rules. NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle agreed the plow gave an unfair advantage but refused to reverse the result of a game. The following year, the NFL banned the use of snowplows on the field during a game. In 2015, allegations arose that the Patriots were using under-inflated footballs during the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts. A full report published in May 2015 found balls provided by the Patriots had less pressure on average than those from the Colts. The Wells Report suggested communication between Tom Brady and two locker room attendants indicated he was likely generally aware of the situation. The NFL suspended Brady without pay for the first four games of the 2016 season and fined the team $1 million.
After a disappointing 2019 season where the team lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Tennessee Titans, quarterback Tom Brady departed after 20 seasons for free agency. He signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. To replace him, the Patriots signed veteran quarterback Cam Newton. In 2020, the team missed the playoffs with their first losing record in two decades at 7, 9. The franchise drafted Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft but released Newton before naming Jones the starting quarterback. Jones led the team to their first playoff berth without Brady since 1998 before losing 47, 17 to the Buffalo Bills. After a gloomy 4, 13 record in the 2023 season, the Patriots mutually parted ways with Bill Belichick on the 11th of January 2024. One day later, Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf were promoted as head coach and de facto general manager respectively. Mike Vrabel was named head coach after Mayo's dismissal following a 4, 13 debut campaign. The Patriots finished the 2025 season with a 14, 3 record winning the AFC East for the first time since 2019.
The Patriots original helmet logo was a simple tricorne hat used only for the 1960 season. From 1961 to 1992, they used a logo of a Revolutionary War minuteman hiking a football known as the "Pat Patriot" logo. In 1979, owner Billy Sullivan put a new streamlined logo up to a vote against Pat Patriot at the September 23 home game against the San Diego Chargers using a sound level meter. The crowd decisively rejected the new design in favor of Pat. A new logo unveiled in 1993 involved the gray face of a minuteman wearing a red, white and royal blue hat that began as a tricorne and transitioned into a flowing banner-like design. It became popularly known as the "Flying Elvis" due to its resemblance to young Elvis Presley. In 2000, the shade of blue switched from royal to nautical blue to coincide with uniform changes in the new millennium. Silver pants were introduced in 2024 and white pants returned the following year.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did the Boston Patriots receive their American Football League franchise?
Boston business executive Billy Sullivan received the eighth and final franchise of the developing American Football League on the 16th of November 1959. The team subsequently adopted the name Boston Patriots after locals submitted ideas for the team name during the following winter.
Where did the New England Patriots play home games before moving to Foxborough in 1971?
The franchise never secured a regular home stadium during its AFL years and played at various times at Boston University Field, Harvard Stadium, Fenway Park, and Boston College's Alumni Stadium. They played at Fenway Park from 1963 to 1969 before relocating to Foxborough, Massachusetts, in 1971.
Who became the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots after Drew Bledsoe was injured in 2001?
Backup quarterback Tom Brady became the starting quarterback after Drew Bledsoe went down with a sheared blood vessel in his chest in a week two match-up against the rival New York Jets. Brady never lost the job again and led the team to three Super Bowl victories between 2001 and 2004.
What happened during the New England Patriots game against the Miami Dolphins on the 12th of December 1982?
Coach Ron Meyer motioned to snowplow operator Mark Henderson to clear a spot on the field for kicker John Smith who kicked what proved to be the game-winning 33-yard field goal to give the Patriots a 3, 0 win. The following year the NFL banned the use of snowplows on the field during a game after league rules were protested by Dolphins head coach Don Shula.
When did Robert Kraft purchase the New England Patriots franchise and how much did he pay?
Robert Kraft purchased the franchise for $175 million on the 21st of January 1994 having already bought Foxboro Stadium out of bankruptcy in 1988. A $350 million facility privately financed by Robert Kraft called Gillette Stadium opened in 2002 to replace the aging Foxboro Stadium which was demolished that same year.