Bill Belichick enforced very strict NFL jersey swap rule on Patriots players

Long-time New England Patriots star Deatrich Wise Jr.

has stated that Bill Belichick did not allow his players to swap jerseys with the opposition on the field.

The legendary head coach is known to take a no-nonsense approach to coaching, at times being criticized by ex-players for making it "no fun" to play with the Patriots under him - but that came with six championships in 20 years in an incredible run.

Wise worked under Belichick in New England for eight years, going on to be a captain with the team and has only spoken highly of his former head coach.

But his words on Belichick not allowing jersey swaps after the game has raised eyebrows.

Wise, one of the Patriots' current longest-serving players, said: "We weren't allowed to trade jerseys on the field.

I don't know, it was an old rule.

We had to do it after the game, we would send it [to the opposition players] and they'd have to wait to get it.

They would give it to us after the game, but we had to send ours in." While going down as one of the greatest head coaches of all-time, Belichick did rub a number of his former players the wrong way due to his approach to the game.

Former Patriot Cassius Marsh was traded to the team from the Seattle Seahawks, a team who had a more relaxed approach under former head coach Pete Carroll.

He has spoken on how much he disliked his time under Belichick.

In 2017, he said: "I confronted Belichick about all the things that were going on.

I won't get into detail, but it was B.S.

things they were doing.

I just wasn't a fan.

And so I, basically, without asking to get cut, I kind of asked to get cut...

I had confidence that I would have an opportunity elsewhere and I would take advantage of it.

"They don't have fun there.

There's nothing fun about it.

There's nothing happy about it.

I didn't enjoy any of my time there, you know what I'm saying? It made me for the first time in my life think about not playing football because I hated it that much." After 23 incredible years with the Patriots, Belichick left following the 2023 season before taking a year out of coaching to move to college football.

He will take over as North Carolina head coach for the 2025 season..

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