Bill Belichick questioned on his future as reports and rumors about his job status loom
With the New England Patriots sitting at 3-10, questions about head coach Bill Belichick’s job status have been building all season. Despite the fact the team is coming off win, those talks hit a crescendo over the past few days.
It started over the weekend, when Patriots owner Robert Kraft appeared on ESPN’s College GameDay show ahead of Saturday’s Army-Navy Game at Gillette Stadium. At the end of his segment, panelist Pat McAfee said to Kraft that “I don’t envy your position. What’s about to happen. We all know. We don’t have to ask.”
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Many took that as McAfee referencing the future of Belichick, and Kraft potentially having to part ways with the greatest coach of all time. It kicked off a round of questions along the lines of ‘does McAfee know something that hasn’t been reported yet?’
With Robert Kraft on the Gameday set, Pat McAfee not so subtly hints at parting ways with Belichick.
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) December 9, 2023
Kraft: “We like to win, so we want to do everything we can to get our team back so we can be winning.”
McAfee: “I don’t envy your position. What’s about to happen. We all know.“ pic.twitter.com/xpW1d6B0LJ
Fast forward to Monday, when those comments and Belichick’s job status were being discussed on NBC Sports Boston. Asked if there’s anything Belichick can do to secure his job next year, Tom E. Curran made it sound as though Kraft has already made up his mind.
“When they came out of Germany – conversations I had that week made it very clear that a decision was made,” Curran said, referencing the Patriots’ 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in a game played in Germany in mid-November. “They were going to play out the string, and at the end of the year there would be a parting of the ways,”
On Wednesday morning Belichick spoke to the media for the first time since both McAfee and Curran’s comments. He was asked three questions about his job status…
“Do you have an understanding that Robert [Kraft] will not ask you to be back next year?”
“Outside of all the rumors, do you want to keep coaching? Is that something that you want to continue to do?”
“Have you and Robert discussed your future beyond the season?”
Belichick’s answers all followed a similar pattern…
“I’m getting ready for Kansas City. That’s what I’m doing.”
“I’m getting ready for Kansas City.”
“Getting ready for Kansas City.”
Of course Belichick wasn’t likely to answer any of those questions outright. At the same time, he had a chance to put the rumblings about his job status to bed, and didn’t.
As the offseason gets closer and closer, the talk around Belichick’s job status will only get louder. For now though, all we know is he’s getting ready for Kansas City.
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