With the New England Patriots sitting at 2-8, there has been speculation as to whether coach Bill Belichick will be on the sideline next season.
Former Patriots quarterback Tom Brady admitted the thought of Belichick not coaching in New England is hard for him to grasp. The legendary coach has been a constant on the Patriots sideline for the past 24 seasons.
Belichick is staring down his second losing season in three years. If the season ended today, the Patriots would have the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Belichick has always had a reputation for being a defensive mastermind and has often gotten the most out of his personnel over the years. However, this season in particular has been a struggle, and the Patriots are trying to avoid finishing at the bottom of the standings.
Brady made a case that the approach has not changed for Belichick during an appearance on “The Stephen A. Smith Show.”
“I think he’s an incredible coach. He’s the best coach, in my belief, in the history of the game,” said Brady. “So, I mean, I don’t know, the thought of him not being in New England is hard for me to think about. I think he prepares the team really well. And ultimately, you got to have a lot of people around you to succeed.
“You gotta have a lot of things in place for the organization to be successful. I don’t think he’s probably coaching much different now than when we’re undefeated in 2007. I’m sure he’s preparing the team the same way. The results are different, but again, that’s why the sport is so challenging. There’s a lot of reasons why teams win or lose.”
Tom Brady on Bill Belichick and the current state of the #Patriots (via @stephenasmith Show):
“I think he's an incredible coach. He's the best coach, in my belief, in the history of the game.
So, I mean, I don't know, the thought of him not being in New England is hard for me… pic.twitter.com/9E5Osi9wRh
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) November 20, 2023
There are certainly many factors for success in the NFL. Quarterback play is undoubtedly one of them, and the personnel surrounding the quarterback is another big factor.
Sure, there’s enough blame to go around for everybody. The bottom line is the results just haven’t been there. One has to wonder if this will be an offseason of change for the organization.
