Former New York Patriots coach Bill Belichick took umbrage with new Patriots coach Jerod Mayo calling the team “soft” after its loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London on Sunday.
During his Monday appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Belichick seemed particularly displeased with Mayo alluding to the team’s defense being “soft.”
In his defense, Belichick listed a bunch of defensive players he brought to New England as proof they had the personnel to be successful on that side of the ball.
“I’m kind of hurt for those guys because to call them soft, they’re not soft,” Belichick said about his old team, claiming they were the best defense against the run last season.
“I feel bad for the defensive players on that one because those guys, that’s a tough group… Those guys are all tough players. Like, they’ll strap it up and go.”
"The Patriots led the league in rushing defense last year and they still have a lot of those players..
I'm hurt for those guys because they're not soft..
I feel bad for the defensive players because they're all tough players" ~ Bill Belichick #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/wVN9ufcNMg
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 21, 2024
It’s fair to note that Mayo is the one responsible right now for getting his Patriots out of a rut and Belichick is not, which understandably makes Mayo the harsher party.
Mayo’s comments may just be tough love on his roster, but Belichick must think it’s an unfair assessment to the defense he built for Mayo to inherit. The former coach being defensive of his roster feels like a given.
It’s fascinating to hear Belichick talk about the Patriots in this way, and we’re sure Mayo will get word of how his old boss feels about his comments.
