There are some very close to New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick that believe he must reach several key goals in 2023 or his legendary tenure with the franchise is sure to end after the season.
There are few if any coaches with a resume that can compete with that of iconic head coach Bill Belichick. During his 23-year run with the franchise, the former New York Giants defensive coordinator has delivered the New England Patriots their first Super Bowl title and then five more.
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Along with winning six championships and over 260 games, he has also taken the organization to three more trips to the NFL title game that required historic moments to defeat the Patriots. However, that was then and now things have become very different for Belichick.
Since legendary quarterback Tom Brady departed New England in 2020, the team has struggled to maintain its uncanny run of excellence. While they have not been a disaster and even won 10 games two seasons ago, the Patriots have been far more dysfunctional, with their 2022 campaign hitting a new low point.
New England Patriots record (2022): 8-9
With the New England Patriots not having won a playoff game in four seasons, pressure has started to mount on the 71-year-old head coach and his position with the organization has lost some of its value. Owner Robert Kraft was patient for several seasons but he has unofficially laid down the challenge that the team must reach the playoffs and win at least one game in the 2023 postseason.
That new edict from on high has made some close to Belichick very worried. On Tuesday, Boston Globe New England Patriots reporter Ben Volin revealed that “Belichick’s friends have privately said they are worried that he is on the hot seat in 2023.”
Part of the reason lies in Kraft’s support of quarterback Mac Jones, despite Belichick losing faith in him last season, and the team’s decision to give defensive coach Jerod Mayo a huge deal to stick around be what looks like the organization’s heir apparent to Belichick.
In an era where NFL head coaches seem to get no more than three years to prove they can do big things, the New England Patriots icon’s job is very much not secure in the post-Brady era of the team.