Bill Belichick is notoriously standoffish with the media, and the New England Patriots’ tough season is not helping the curmudgeonly head coach’s temperament with reporters.
During Wednesday morning’s virtual press conference, Belichick got quite testy over a question concerning the Patriots’ quarterback situation. Cam Newton has been an overall disappointment this season and is believed to not be in the team’s plans going forward.
With previously anointed Tom Brady heir apparent Jarrett Stidham waiting in the wings, the notion that Belichick might want to see what he’s got in his backup quarterback arguably is a reasonable query.
Belichick didn’t necessarily see it that way. Or at the very least, the Patriots boss is getting tired of answering questions repeatedly about the quarterback situation.
It somehow proceeded to get even more awkward after the above testy exchange.
Newton immediately and unsurprisingly was tabbed as the prohibitive favorite to be named the Patriots’ starting quarterback over Jarrett Stidham and Brian Hoyer after signing with the team in July. The one-time NFL MVP joined the Patriots with an sizable chip on his shoulder after languishing in free agency following his release by the Carolina Panthers.
Newton’s play, however, hasn’t been up to snuff, although he did show flashes from time to time. That said, he was unable to lead the Patriots to success in the first season of the post-Brady era, as the team failed to qualify for the postseason for the first time since 2008 following last Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins.
It’s reasonable for the media members that cover the Patriots to inquire about an issue as important as the team’s plans for the quarterback position.
However, given Belichick has long cultivated an adversarial relationship with the media — some of his terse press conference exchanges with reporters have become the stuff of legend — it’s hardly surprising such an inquiry tested his patience this week amid a truly disheartening 2020 campaign.
What’s more, it’s not like Belichick hasn’t been exhibiting his trademark combativeness throughout the season. Being eliminated from playoff contention obviously wasn’t going to help his already-surly disposition with the underwhelming season winding down.
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