A recent report claims that the New England Patriots could seriously consider firing Bill Belichick during the season if he comes home from Germany this weekend with a third straight loss.
Bill Belichick will go down as one of the greatest head coaches in not just NFL history but in all of sports. The 71-year-old has taken nine Patriots teams to the Super Bowl and brought home the Lombardi trophy on six occasions. Yet, all good things come to an end.
Since the departure of legendary quarterback Tom Brady in 2020, the “Patriot Way” has started to show cracks, and since last year things have been in a downward spiral. The messy situation on offense that led to an 8-9 record seems like a worthwhile year compared to the disaster the team has been in 2023.
Heading into Week 10, New England owns a 2-7 and is tied for the third-worst record in the league. It is a massive cry from what the franchise was just a few years ago. That is why there has been a great deal of speculation that Belichick’s job is on the line, despite reportedly getting a contract extension in the offseason.
Late last week, Boston Globe Senior NFL reporter Ben Volin wrote about the rumblings he was hearing before the team’s game against the Washington Commanders this past weekend, and why signs point to Bill Belichick being out as head coach if he doesn’t turn things around on Sunday.
New England Patriots record: 2-7
“One source close to Belichick believes the ‘multiyear’ extension he signed before this season just runs through 2024. Based on my conversations, I don’t think it’s 100 percent that Belichick finishes out this season. These next two games before the bye are huge, particularly the Germany game, which is practically the team’s Super Bowl for the Krafts.
“If Belichick loses at home to the Commanders and then to the Colts, and comes home from Germany with a 2-8 record, I think there’s a chance the Krafts could make the move in the bye week and install Jerod Mayo as the interim coach for the final seven games.”
– Ben Volin
Obviously, the New England Patriots fell to the Commanders in Week 9, 20-17. Making Sunday morning’s game in Germany a possible make or break in the storied career of the long-time Pats coach. Furthermore, the matchup is important to the team’s owner since they own commercial rights to market the Patriots brand in Germany via the league’s global markets program.
A defeat to the Colts would be bad for the organization as they compete with the Chiefs to cultivate a fanbase in Germany.
Patriots vs. Colts kicks off at 9:30 AM on NFL Network this Sunday.