Considering his track record for discipline and consistency, it would be a surprise if Patriots coach Bill Belichick prematurely rode off into the sunset as he prepares for what is rumored to be his final game in New England.
Sparked by reports of owner Robert Kraft’s decision on Belichick’s future with the team, speculation mounted in November that New England was ready for a change at the position.
With six Super Bowl titles in 24 seasons with the Patriots, Belichick is regarded as one of the greatest coaches of all-time. But at 4-12, the Patriots are headed for their third losing season in four years since Tom Brady left in free agency.
Belichick, 71, rarely engages in discussions around hypothetical or speculative topics in his media sessions, and kept that usual nose-to-the-grindstone portrait intact on Tuesday in an interview aired on WEEI in Boston.
“It’s a lot of hypotheticals, a lot of ‘in the past’ and ‘in the future.’ I’m really focused on what’s going on right now,” he said.
Belichick said he doesn’t have any big announcements at the moment, joking he would take it to “Twitter or MyFace so everybody could see it.”
“Each week, get ready to go for that week, do the best you can to help your team win, and after that game move on to the next one. And at the end of the season, that’s the end of the season,” Belichick said. “But on a week-to-week basis, I don’t want to spend time, or get caught up in what happened five years ago, or what’s going to happen two years from now, and a bunch of other random stuff. Just working on the Jets.
“I’m committed to the team that I’m coaching right now — the players that are here. They deserve my best every day and that’s what I’m going to give them.”
The Patriots host the New York Jets (6-10) on Sunday afternoon.
–Field Level Media