Bill Belichick has reportedly 'expressed doubt' to his staff about Patriots future
As the New England Patriots near the end of what will be their worst season since the start of Bill Belichick's legendary 24-year tenure at the helm, rumors continue to swirl about what the team will do with its 71-year-old future Hall of Fame head coach.
The latest report Monday comes from the Boston Sports Journal, which claims Belichick has started expressing doubt to his assistant coaches about his future in New England beyond this season.
It's notable, especially considering that Belichick's future status appears as privately uncertain as it is publicly. Belichick had reportedly been making customary future staffing plans beyond this season even as the team has sunk to a 4-11 record and out of the playoff race.
Regardless, with only two weeks left in the 2023 NFL season, the Patriots will be forced to provide clarity on Belichick's status one way or another. Three teams — the Chargers, Raiders and Panthers — have already parted ways with their head coaches with more expected to follow once the regular season is over. That could allow the Patriots to potentially trade Belichick's contract rights to another team, as the six-time Super Bowl champion is expected to draw heavy interest from teams looking for a new leader.
Meanwhile, Woody Johnson, owner of the division rival Jets, has publicly committed to bringing back head coach Robert Saleh and general manager Joe Douglas for at least one more season after Aaron Rodgers' Week 1 Achilles injury derailed New York's playoff aspirations.
Belichick was asked in a local Boston sports radio appearance Tuesday — two days after the Patriots' Christmas Eve road upset win over the Denver Broncos — whether he would like team owner Robert Kraft to give a similar assurance to the man who has been his longtime head coach and general manager.
"I don't really know anything about the Jets situation," Belichick told WEEI's Greg Hill Show. "I don't know anything about that, so. [Going] to get ready for [Week 17's game against] Buffalo here. Go back over the Denver game, make some corrections on that and talk about things we could have done better, things we need to build on, and then move on to Buffalo. That's what I'm doing."
It's a classic Belichickian response, one that he has become known for. It remains to be seen whether it will be one of his last opportunities to give that type of answer as head coach of the Patriots.
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