ESPN's Seth Wickersham released a story on Friday divulging a rift between New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.

Wickersham wrote the problems are so deep that there is "a palpable sense in the building that this might be the last year together for this group."

The Patriots have released a joint statement from the trio refuting the report.

All three have been with the Patriots since the team drafted Brady in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft, months after Belichick was hired. The team has since won five Super Bowls, and enjoyed unprecedented dominance over the NFL, making the playoffs in 15 of the past 17 seasons and posting a 237-115 record overall.

Wickersham reports Brady's body coach and business partner Alex Guerrero has caused a significant amount of friction between the quarterback and the head coach, along with the team's medical staff. 

Belichick limited Guerrero's access to the team last month after years of enjoying complete admission to the Patriots facilities. Guerrero's advice, at times, directly opposed the instructions of the Patriots medical staff and left players unsure of whose instructions to follow at the risk of alienating either the head coach or Brady.

The ESPN report adds Brady was unhappy with Belichick's decision to draft Jimmy Garoppolo as his successor in 2014. According to Wickersham, high-level Patriots meetings, including a half-day sitdown between Kraft and Belichick, led to the owner giving Belichick to directive to trade Garoppolo before the Nov. 1 trade deadline and look for the team's quarterback of the future in the 2018 Draft. 

Belichick, hoping to see Garoppolo succeed, traded him to the San Francisco 49ers and offensive-minded head coach Kyle Shanahan for just a second-round pick. 

Wickersham reports that Kraft's involvement with football operations left those close to Belichick with the feeling that the dynamic had become unsustainable.

It's unclear what the future holds for the Patriots, who will host a divisional round playoff game next week, but Wickersham's report suggests Belichick could be coaching his final season in New England. Brady, who ESPN reports was elated by the Garoppolo trade, plans to play into his mid-40s.