Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots go together like peanut butter and jelly. Without one, the other wouldn’t be nearly as prominent as they are today. Having won six Super Bowl trophies together, Belichick has earned his place among the greatest coaches of all time.
But life hasn’t been as good for the Patriots since Tom Brady departed for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2020 NFL season. Belichick’s made the playoffs just once and has a win-loss record of just 19-21. In other words, these aren’t the same Patriots that dominated the early 2000s.
With the Patriots at 1-5, it’s safe to say Belichick’s seat is getting warmer and warmer with every loss New England suffers. While replacing the longtime Patriots coach/general manager wouldn’t be easy, the team does have a few strong in-house candidates.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, it sounds like the Patriots’ organization, led by team owner Robert Kraft, has already begun discussing life without Belichick.
“These discussions have taken place, and I can tell you for sure, Robert hears the criticism. He hears the anger locally, and people in the building know for a fact that he’s hearing the anger from the fan base. He’s very cognizant of where his team is in the pecking order of NFL teams, as well. They’re not a marquee team, and he took a lot of pride in them being a marquee team for two decades.”
Albert Breer on New England Patriots considering life without Bill Belichick
It seems hard to envision a Patriots team without Belichick at the helm, especially considering he’s been there since the 2000 season, spending over two decades operating as head coach and general manager. Yet, if the Patriots’ struggles continue, the franchise may not have a choice but to make drastic changes, even to one of the most accomplished coaches in NFL history.
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