The New England Patriots broke up with Duron Harmon in the off-season and sent him to the Detroit Lions. The Safety now told how the trade talk with Head Coach Bill Belichick went.

With the New England Patriots he won three Super Bowls, the fans called him “The Closer” – because he could decide games with his crunchtime interceptions. After seven years, however, the time is over.

Duron Harmon was traded to the Detroit Lions for a five-round pick in 2020 with a seven-round pick. A decision that was not easy for the franchise, but had to be made. For purely financial reasons.

As Harmon revealed in the “Double Coverage” podcast of his ex-colleagues Jason and Devin McCourty, Head Coach Bill Belichick was very open-minded about Safety.

🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿 https://t.co/CqAqjboNcs

— Duron Harmon (@dharm32) March 25, 2020

“Belichick said to me, ‘Look, we’ve just reached the point where we have to make some changes in the squad and we just paid Devin (two years, $23 million). It’s gonna be really hard for us to do anything in the Free Agency if we don’t do it now.'”

Harmon on Patriots out: “I respect that.
The Patriots coach also assured him that the trade to Detroit was a good chance for him. In the Lions, Harmon will meet his former defensive coordinator and new head coach Matt Patricia.

“I respect that because we all know that Bill makes decisions that are best for the team. I respect it because there aren’t many people who show that kind of dedication to the team.”

With Harmon’s trade, the dismissal of kicker Stephen Gostkowski, the most successful scorer in franchise history, and the departure of quarterback legend Tom Brady, Belichick is parting ways with long-time supporters of his team.

At least the players seem to understand the decision.