A recent report indicated that New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is on the hot seat this season. A team insider says that Belichick has been on the hot seat for longer.
The New England Patriots missed out on the playoffs last year, which can be attributed to the offense, which was surprisingly led by Matt Patricia, with Joe Judge in charge of the quarterbacks. This happened one year after the Patriots clinched a Wild Card berth with then-rookie quarterback Mac Jones. But now, they are entering a 2023 season, where the AFC East has gotten that much tougher after quarterback and four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers joined the New York Jets.
It will be up to head coach Bill Belichick to lead the Patriots through not only a tough division but a tough conference. But, the pressure is on.
During an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show," NBC Sports Boston's Tom Curran said that Belichick is on the hot seat this year. Not only that, but Curran said that Belichick "has been there with different levels of warmth since 2019."
NFL rumors: Bill Belichick has been on the Patriots hot seat since 2019
Curran brought up that in 2019, quarterback Tom Brady had been seeking a two-year, $50 million guaranteed contract with the team. After not receiving that by training camp, Brady threatened to walk out. That message was then relayed to Belichick, and they got a deal done, but not the terms that Brady was looking for. Instead, Brady received a two-year contract with a team option.
Of course after the season, Brady would leave for free agency, and sign with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His first year in Tampa Bay? Brady won his seventh Super Bowl title.
In 2020, the Patriots brought in Cam Newton to replace Brady, and the move didn't pan out, as the team finished 7-9 and missed the postseason. They did make the playoffs with Jones under center in 2021 with a 10-7 record, but they were blown out by the Buffalo Bills 47-17 in the Wild Card Round. Then last year happened, missing out on the playoffs with an 8-9 record.
If Belichick were to get let go by the Patriots? Curran mentions that linebackers coach Jerod Mayo would be the in-house replacement. Mayo was signed to a contract extension by the Patriots after receiving interest for outside positions, one of them being the head coaching vacancy for the Carolina Panthers. So, he could potentially be Belichick's successor down the line.
"If they look disorganized, dysfunctional and discipline's out the window, then they might say, 'That was a great run, but can you go upstairs and just watch Jerod coach next year,'" Curran said to Eisen, h/t Bleacher Report.
This offseason, the Patriots seemingly found a solution for their woes on offense, bringing back Bill O'Brien as coordinator. But, they face a tough schedule, where they will have to play the Bills, Jets, and Miami Dolphins twice each, and face the likes of the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, and Los Angeles Chargers. While the defense over the years has been able to hold their own and keep New England in games, they will need the offense to take that next step to get wins, especially in the division.
Letting go of a head coach that helped bring six Super Bowl titles to New England would be a difficult choice on paper. But based on what Curran is saying, the Patriots want to see successful results in this upcoming campaign. We'll see what happens this upcoming season and if Belichick can bring the Patriots to the playoffs and pick up a win or two just like old times.