Breer: Robert Kraft talked about ‘post-Belichick’ Patriots originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
What will the New England Patriots look like when Bill Belichick is no longer head coach? These discussions apparently took place at the highest levels in Foxboro.
Belichick’s future was a hot topic Sunday morning after NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Belichick and the Patriots “quietly” agreed to a “lucrative new multi-year contract” this past offseason. Appearing on NBC Sports Boston Patriots pregame live before Sunday’s match against Buffalo BillsSports Illustrated’s Albert Breer shared his insight on the dynamic between Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft and how Rapoport’s report factors into it.
“That’s something that’s kind of changed over the course of the year,” Belichick said. “At the beginning of the year, Patriots owners and members of this organization had discussions about what post-Belichick would look like. And that was necessitated by the Jerod Mayo situation.”
Carolina Panthers invited to interview Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo for their head coaching opening in January, but the Patriots “talked him out of” taking that interview, according to Breer, and signed him to a long-term contract extensionwhich could potentially set him up to succeed Belichick as New England’s head coach in the future.
“I don’t know what exactly is in the contract, but what I can tell you for sure is (ownership) has talked about what this organization would look like post-Belichick,” Breer said . “So there have been discussions at the highest levels of the organization about what it will look like post-Belichick, which is what you would expect because Robert Kraft has always been a very forward-looking owner.”
The question, of course, is how soon Kraft will be ready to begin the post-Belichick era. The Patriots entered Sunday’s game 1-5 after three straight losses, so would that lead to Kraft leaving Belichick sooner than expected?
“Another thing that I think is important here is where and why the conversation has changed,” Breer added. “People I talked to thought there would be changes after this year if things continued like this, and maybe it would be bringing in a general manager and restructuring the top of the organization and by having a general manager, rather than reporting to Bill, report to the owner.
“We have the general manager and the coach who both report to the owner, which would also prepare you for life after Belichick, because that’s how organizations operate without coaches who have all that power.”
Rapoport’s report that Belichick has reached a new multi-year deal could change that idea — but it certainly doesn’t mean Belichick’s job is assured, Breer noted.
“Now you’re kind of wondering, where is this going?” » said Breer. “Is it possible that they just decide that they can’t have Bill in the building at all? And one thing I know is that the temperature in this building is different than it has been since a very, very long time. People in this building are feeling the heat and feeling a great sense of uncertainty about where this is going.
“And I think the fact that this (report) was made public … it was probably, on one side or the other, intended to reduce the pressure, whether it was overall by the organization trying to show a unified front for the next 11 games or it’s coming from Bill Belichick’s camp, who wants people to get off his back.
“Regardless, I think the pressure that was felt in the building is certainly evident in that outing when it happened.”
