If there were anyone in the NFL who should have ironclad job security, one would argue it should be Bill Belichick. However, a recent report suggests the people closest to him do not believe that’s the case.
In a Tuesday column in the Boston Globe, Ben Volin reports that “Belichick’s friends have privately said they are worried that he is on the hot seat in 2023.” Specifically, the report states that Patriots QB Mac Jones has grown increasingly close with team Owner Robert Kraft, a potential source of tension between the QB and the coach.
Head coach Bill Belichick and Mac Jones, #10 of the New England Patriots, talk on the field before a game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on September 11, 2022, in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Things have certainly not gone well for the Patriots since Tom Brady’s departure. The team has only made the playoffs once since Brady bolted for the Bucs, and that one appearance amounted to a 47-17 drubbing by the division-rival Buffalo Bills in the 2021 Wild Card round. The woes haven’t been confined to the postseason either, as the Pats are a perfectly mediocre 25-25 in the past three seasons.
Other cracks in the foundation include what appeared to be a quarterback controversy last season when Belichick appeared to give rookie QB Bailey Zappe every opportunity to prove himself after Jones exited with an injury. Another sign of trouble emerged last season when Belichick sought to spark a sputtering New England offense by turning the reigns over to defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, even though Patricia has zero experience on the offensive side of the ball.
The result? It didn’t work.
When asked about his outlook on his coach and team, Kraft said he still believed in Belichick while spending considerable time explaining that the clock is ticking.
Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots, looks on before a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette Stadium on November 06, 2022, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)
“Look, I think Bill is exceptional at what he does. And I’ve given him the freedom to make the choices and do the things that need to be done,” Kraft told NFL Media in March. “His football intellect and knowledge is unparalleled from what I’ve seen, and when you talk to him, the small things analytically that he looks at.
“But in the end, this is a business. You either execute and win, or you don’t. That’s where we’re at. I think we’re in a transition phase. I think we’ve made some moves this year, that I personally am comfortable with, and I still believe in Bill.”
Does this mean Belichick is on the “hot seat” in 2023? Maybe, maybe not. Does it mean 2023 is an important season for him? Absolutely.