Things aren’t looking good for Bill Belichick in 2023.
With New England mired in a 2-7 start heading into Sunday’s international game against the Colts in Germany, questions regarding Belichick’s job security have swirled around the Patriots in recent weeks.
But even if New England continues to flounder at the bottom of the AFC standings, could Robert Kraft choose to fire the legendary head coach before the end of this 2023 campaign?
It would be a shocking outcome for a Patriots franchise rooted in stability for most of Belichick’s 24 seasons in Foxborough.
But even if Kraft ultimately decides that a seismic shift in New England’s direction is necessary, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport explained why any decision doesn’t make sense midway through the season.
“First of all, he’s the greatest coach of all time. Sometimes these guys are treated differently,” Rapoport noted on NFL GameDay. “The other part of it, functionally, if Belichick somehow wants to coach somewhere else next year, the Patriots have him under contract. They would like at least some sort of compensation for this to happen.
“If you have to fire him, what’s that going to do?” Does that give you an advantage in a process when you may already have his successor in the Jerod Mayo building? There are a lot of reasons why it wouldn’t make sense to move on from Bill Belichick, at least during the season. »
Rapoport also noted that Belichick’s “multi-year” contract extension only lasts through the 2024 season. Not only does this prompt New England to seek compensation if it decides to let Belichick coach elsewhere next season, but it It’s also far from a long contract that gives Belichick plenty of room to maneuver at his current position.
“This is a new contract for Bill Belichick that puts him under contract at least this year and next year – this show of support from owner Robert Kraft and team executives before the season,” said Rapoport. “That’s the contractual end of it all.
“My understanding is that Robert Kraft, the owner, is not inclined to fire Bill Belichick mid-season, which is incredible and surprising that we’re even discussing it. But given the record, given the last two years , at least it’s a topic in New England on the airwaves and elsewhere.
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