NFL franchise story

New England Patriots

New England evolved from an unstable AFL club into a Super Bowl team, then became the defining dynasty of the salary-cap era through Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and constant reinvention.

Every era · The defining players · Five essential games

The franchise timeline

Every era of the New England Patriots.

Move through the franchise chronologically. The jerseys identify each chapter’s central cast, and every card opens the complete story of that era.

Historical reference: New England Patriots official NFL team page ↗

The beginning

Franchise era

1960—1975

Gino Cappelletti

Babe Parilli

Jim Nance

A wandering AFL club finds Foxborough

The Boston Patriots

The Patriots reached the 1963 AFL title game but struggled for stability while playing in a succession of Boston-area stadiums.

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Chapter 01

1960—1975

Franchise era

1976—1992

John Hannah

Steve Grogan

Andre Tippett

Strong running teams reach the first Super Bowl

From contender to crisis

New England produced several excellent teams and reached Super Bowl XX before ownership turmoil and a near-relocation threatened the franchise.

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Chapter 02

1976—1992

Franchise era

1993—2000

Drew Bledsoe

Ben Coates

Ty Law

A No. 1 quarterback brings the Patriots back

Parcells and Bledsoe reset expectations

Robert Kraft's ownership and Bill Parcells's coaching stabilized the organization, leading to Super Bowl XXXI and a roster ready for another regime.

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Chapter 03

1993—2000

Franchise era

2001—2006

Tom Brady

Tedy Bruschi

Richard Seymour

Situational football produces three titles

The first dynasty

Brady replaced an injured Bledsoe and Belichick's adaptable teams won three Super Bowls in four seasons.

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Chapter 04

2001—2006

Franchise era

2007—2013

Tom Brady

Randy Moss

Rob Gronkowski

An explosive offense chases another title

The near-perfect reinvention

The 2007 Patriots went 16–0 before a Super Bowl upset, then the roster reloaded around two young tight ends and returned to the championship game.

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Chapter 05

2007—2013

Franchise era

2014—2019

Tom Brady

Rob Gronkowski

Dont'a Hightower

Three more championships complete the run

The second dynasty

New England won three Super Bowls in five seasons through goal-line defense, the largest comeback in Super Bowl history and another dominant defensive plan.

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Chapter 06

2014—2019

Franchise era

2020—present

Matthew Judon

Christian Gonzalez

Drake Maye

The franchise searches beyond its defining partnership