It looks like Bill Belichick wants to remain with the New England Patriots.
Following the New England Patriots’ disappointing week 18 loss to the New York Jets, all eyes turned to the future of first-ballot Hall of Famer, head coach, Bill Belichick. With the Patriots’ 17-3 loss to the Jets being just the latest example of change being needed in New England, a divorce with the man who helped led the organization to six Super Bowl titles over the course of the last 23 years seemed inevitable.
However, when Belichick spoke with the media after the Pats’ 4-13 season officially ended, he had quite the quote for ESPN’s Mike Reiss, hinting at a possible willingness to give up his duties as the club’s general manager in order to remain manning the sidelines in Foxboro.
“Look, I’m for whatever we collectively decide as an organization is the best thing to help our football team. I have multiple roles in that, and I rely on a lot of people to help me in those responsibilities; somebody has to have the final say. Whatever that process is, I’m only part of it.”
Bill Belichick’s Historic Reign in New England
Just hours after famously resigning as the head coach of the New York Jets on a napkin…yes, a napkin. Bill Belichick was hired as the head coach of the New England Patriots in 2000. This comes after a modest 36-44 tenure as the leader of the sidelines with the Cleveland Browns from 1991 through 1995, and stints with the Patriots and Jets as an assistant from 1996 until his hiring in 2000. Following a 5-11 first season in Foxboro, Belichick righted the ship, most famously due to a certain Tom Brady stepping in for Drew Bledsoe following the latter’s injury in week 2 of the 2001 season.
Even after Bledsoe, who had freshly signed what at the time was the biggest contract in NFL history, Belichick stuck with the hot hand in Brady, who was just months removed from being the 199th pick in the draft. The Patriots would go on to beat ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’ in the form of the Kurt Warner-led St. Louis Rams to secure the franchise’s first Super Bowl win. Belichick and Brady would famously go on to win six Super Bowl titles before Brady’s departure to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2019 season.
Brady went on to win another Super Bowl in Tampa Bay, his seventh, while Belichick was tasked with replacing the best player in the history of the sport…something that the Patriots are still struggling with as the club holds a 4-12 record heading into week 18.
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