Bill Belichick’s contribution to the New England Patriots is no secret, but his tenure may be reaching its conclusion. The era of Brady and Belichick is over, and the Patriots haven’t been the same since. The 2023 season has been marred by significant challenges, which have reportedly triggered the discussion about the HC’s potential firing, after 27 years of service to the franchise.
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Led by Bill Belichick, the Patriots have struggled to maintain their footing ever since Tom Brady stepped off as the QB. The once dominant AFC powerhouse has only secured a single win this season, a result of unconventional decisions made by the HC. These developments apparently led to Robert Kraft holding talks to discuss every possible solution, including firing the legendary coach as per Albert Breer via The Herd with Colin Cowherd.
Albert Breer Says that Discussions About Bill’s Future Are Going on
On the recent episode of Herd with Colin Cowherd, New England’s NFL Insider Albert Breer talks about the devastating start of the season for the Patriots and says it could signal the end of the 27-year reign of Belichick at the Patriots. He claims that active discussions are already taking place involving the team’s owner, Robert Kraft.
“Robert hears the criticism, he hears the anger, locally. And people in the building know for a fact that he is hearing the anger from the fan base. He is very cognizant of where his team is in the pecking order of the NFL…So I think there’s all of that sort of plays into this. The discussions about the future of the franchise actually do go back to January and February when they were sitting down with Jerod Mayo, their de facto defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, and they got him to turn down an interview with the Panthers. The best thing for his career probably was to take that interview.”
Breer stated that talks about the future post-Belichick have been going on since January or February. There is also a belief that a new GM would potentially be brought in to work alongside Belichick.
“So the discussions of where this goes post-Belichick have been underway for a while, and I think, you know, regardless of, you know, how this year went, I think there was going to be a discussion about the structure of the franchise and potentially changing the personnel department. Do we bring in a general manager or promote someone to general manager and see if Bill wants to work with him?“
Bill’s success with the Patriots is unparalleled. With Brady as the heart of the team and smart recruitment around him, he continued to churn out wins and deliver the Super Bowls. They worked like well-oiled machinery. But Brady’s decision to leave after 20 years to seek out new pastures, left a gaping hole that Bill hasn’t been able to fill. Pressure is mounting on Bill to deliver.
Robert Kraft Doesn’t Feel that Bill Belichick is Irreplaceable
Robert Kraft is beginning to feel frustrated with the current situation at the Patriots. He is reportedly beginning to lose patience with Belichick. Many feel that Bill deserves to go out on his own accord, but Kraft doesn’t subscribe to that thinking. According to Athletics’ Jeff Howe, Kraft has been outspoken about the lack of a post-Brady success. He said,
“Kraft likes to remind people he grew up as a Patriots fan during the organization’s darkest days. But that doesn’t mean he has the patience to endure more of them. On multiple occasions in recent years, he has lamented the team’s lack of a postseason victory in the post-Brady era. Kraft has grown frustrated, if not downright angry, over this shortage of success, according to people close to the situation.“
Patriots are 1-5 this season. They were only able to defeat the Jets this season, a team without their star QB. This week, the team will meet the AFC powerhouse, the Bills, whom they haven’t beaten in their last four matchups.
