When the Bill is Up
I’ll state the obvious, Bill Belichick is no spring chicken. It’s hard to think about the post Bill Belichick era of the New England Patriots, but it could be here sooner rather than later. There’s been a lot of chatter about Bill’s post Brady resume and how it could factor into his future with the Patriots. The Cam Newton experiment was obviously a disaster. The following year the Patriots drafted Mac Jones and made the playoffs as a 10-7 wild card. In the winter of 2022, it seemed like the entire AFC improved their rosters with tons of player movement, especially quarterbacks. On paper the Patriots most likely rank toward the middle of the conference at best even with the acquisitions of DeVante Parker and Jabrill Peppers.
There’s no doubt it’s a big season for Bill. Another sub .500 record or a regression from last season especially with Mac Jones would certainly put him on the hot seat. Bill has stated he doesn’t want to coach into his 70’s, and here he is at 70. Approaching Don Schuler’s infamous wins record at 347, it’s hard to believe Bill would hang it up before that milestone is reached. At 321 wins the record will likely be broken in three to four years however, it may not be in New England.
The big question is if Bill is gone then who replaces him? My answer is simple, his son Steve. Is it because I think Steve Belichick might be a great head coach? Not necessarily, but I’m terrified of who might come walking through that door. Over the years we’ve seen a revolving door of head coaches across the league. There hasn’t been much stability for head coaches apart from a handful of franchises. At the very least Steve has been around the greatest NFL coach his entire life.
The revolving door of poor head coaching has brought Matt Patricia and Joe Judge back to New England as assistants. Two names I want nowhere near the head coaching position. People around town have mentioned that Bill no longer has his fastball post Brady. While that may be true, I have yet to hear anybody mention a viable candidate. Jerod Mayo would be the only other answer I would accept. There are very few New England fans who advocate for Steve Belichick’s coaching future in New England. In fact, I might be the only one.
It is inevitable though, Steve Belichick will some day be a head coach in the NFL. I hope he starts here with the Patriots, taking over for his dad. This franchise took a thumping when Brady left. If Steve becomes a successful head coach elsewhere and the Patriots are still teetering, then this franchise may take a ruthless beating. The Kraft’s need to see if he can be a head coach here first. There is way too much to lose.
-Mikey McCarthy - Off the Rails Podcast - Olde City Sports Network
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