Bill Belichick Willing to Relinquish Power in New England

During Sunday’s Patriots-Jets game, the broadcast duo of Chris Myers and Robert Smith spoke of Bill Belichick and his departure from New England as a foregone conclusion. This was largely based on an opinion shared by NFL analyst Jay Glazer in the pregame show. Reports of Belichick’s demise as head coach of the New England Patriots are nothing new over the past several months. Albert Breer, Ben Volin, and Tom E. Curran are just a few of the media members who said Belichick’s tenure with the Patriots was ending. If this is the case, the winningest head coach of the Super Bowl Era seems to be unaware of it.

Bill Belichick spoke following the end of the Jets game, which also marked the end of the 2023 season. Belichick didn’t comment on what the future holds.

“As far as the future goes, I’ll sit down with Robert (Kraft) as I do every year at some point at the end of the season. And we’ll talk about things as we always do. I’m sure that will happen. But that’s really about all I have to say about that right now, because there isn’t anything else to talk about.”

Asked if walking off the field at Gillette Stadium had any different feeling for him on Sunday, his answer was Belichickian as always.

“Disappointed about the way the game turned out.”

Belichick met with the media again on Monday morning. He spoke of being proud of how the players competed, despite being disappointed in the results. He pointed the finger at himself first and foremost as usual, when stating everyone needed to do a better job. But once again, Belichick would only talk about things in the present.

“I’m under contract. Do what I always do, which is very day I come in, work as hard as I can to help the team in whatever way I can. So, that’s what I’m going to continue to do. And today was kind of the wrap up day for us with the players. Had a meeting with them. And then go from there.

“As far as any decision or direction or anything like that for next year, way too early for that.”

Belichick was only interested in talking about the future in terms of  immediate tasks ahead.

“Meet with Robert (Kraft) like I always do. Meet with the staff, meet with the personnel department. Kind of recap the season, look at the big picture, and then look at some of the individual situations that are looming, one way or another. But that’s obviously a long, long way off from where we are right now.

“We’ll start at the end of the day putting the pieces together in terms of setting things up to go through a good detailed analysis, and start reconstruction if you will.”

He would not comment on a timeframe of meeting (or meetings) with Robert Kraft. He did however, bring up some advice given to him by his father.

“You work for the team that you’re working for and do the best you can for them until somebody tells you different. So, that’s not going to change.”

Perhaps out of every topic, nothing would garner more attention than the possibility of Bill Belichick relinquishing his personnel or draft responsibilities.

“I’m for whatever we 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’s got to have the final say. I rely on a lot of other people to help. Whatever that process is, I’m only part of it.”

If certain pundits are correct, Robert Kraft has already decided to fire Bill Belichick. But the head coach will continue handling business as usual until/unless an official decision is made. Belichick says he is willing to do whatever is in the best interests of the franchise, even if that means losing some of his power within the organization. What Bill Belichick says and how he truly feels could be two different things. But, in the wake of the 2023 season coming to an end, he certainly said all of the right things.

Bill Belichick views himself as an employee of Robert Kraft and the New England Patriots, which he is. If he is no longer an employee prior to the 2024 season, he will not be the one to make that decision.