Bill Belichick makes surprise return to Patriots ahead of New England's Week 9 showdown vs. Packers

Bill Belichick smiled when asked about Rob Gronkowski's induction into the New England Patriots Hall of Fame following North Carolina's win over Connecticut on Saturday. Later in the day, Belichick surprised many by taking part in a dinner celebrating one of the many accomplishments he and the Patriots had during his 24 seasons as the team's head coach. 

Following his team's 38-21 win over UConn on Saturday, Belichick drove to Foxborough to take part in a dinner celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the Patriots' Super Bowl LI win, their 34-28 overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons and the fifth of six Super Bowl wins under Belichick. The Patriots' celebration of that team coincided with Gronkowski's Hall of Fame induction. 

Along with Belichick, Tom Brady also attended the festivities. Brady was in attendance for Gronkowski's formal induction into the team's Hall of Fame on Saturday. 

Belichick recently attended a dinner celebrating the 40th anniversary of the New York Giants' first Super Bowl win. Belichick was the Giants' defensive coordinator during the franchise's first two Super Bowl wins. 

Belichick was noticeably absent when the Patriots recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the franchise's first Super Bowl championship team. 

It's worth noting that Patriots owner Robert Kraft was not present at Saturday night's dinner, which was held at Davio's Steakhouse at Patriots Place. Kraft, 85, is currently recovering from back surgery. 

Belichick and Kraft don't appear to be on the best of terms, and Belichick has kept his distance from the franchise since he and the Patriots parted ways after the 2023 season. The two have exchanged barbs in the media in the years since their breakup. Last September, Belichick confirmed reports that Patriots scouts were prohibited from being at North Carolina's facilities. 

"It's clear I'm not welcome there at their facility. So they're not welcome at ours," Belichick said at the time. 

Kraft did say last year that he plans to build a statue for Belichick, whose time as Patriots coach included six Super Bowl wins, nine AFC titles and 17 AFC East division crowns. 

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