New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick Responds to ‘Parting Ways’ Reports
FOXBORO — If the ‘end of an era is nigh’ for the New England Patriots, it appears that someone forgot to tell head coach Bill Belichick.
While rumors surrounding his future with the team continue to flow like rapids in a tempestuous river, Belichick remains focused on New England’s Week 15 opponent.
“I’m getting ready for Kansas City,” Belichick told reporters on Wednesday when asked to comment on his job status.
When asked a follow-up on whether he and Patriots owner Robert Kraft have discussed his coaching future in New England, Belichick replied as one might expect:
“Getting ready for Kansas City … That’s what I’m doing.”
Not long ago, the concept of Belichick and the Patriots parting ways — for any reason other than his retirement — seemed inconceivable. New England’s unprecedented two-plus decades of success, with Belichick as its principal architect, is unlikely to be seen again in professional sports. As such, the 71-year-old’s enshrinement in Canton seems but a mere formality.
Still, the harsh reality is that the Patriots will once again be on the outside of the AFC playoff picture at the conclusion of 2023. At 3-10, they currently occupy the cellar of both their division and the conference. Since their victory in Super Bowl LIII to close out the 2018 season, New England has failed to qualify for the playoffs three times. For the two seasons in which they did make the playoffs, they were quickly ousted in the Wild Card round. Following quarterback Tom Brady’s departure prior to the start of the 2020 season, the Pats are 28-36 overall.
Is a Robert Kraft-Bill Belichick divorce inevitable in New England?
AP Photo/Adam Hunger
Unsurprisingly, the blame for such inefficiencies has fallen more on the shoulders of Belichick than anyone else in the organization — with fans and media alike ferociously clamoring for the eight-time Super Bowl champion's outright firing. The abundance of speculation reached a fever pitch on Tuesday when NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran revealed, per a source, that Belichick’s fate was sealed after the Pats embarrassing 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany — a game which Kraft wanted to win “badly.”
“When they came out of Germany, conversations I had that week made it very clear that a decision was made," Curran said. "They were going to play out the string, and at the end of the year there would be a parting of the ways, for a variety of reasons.”
Whether those various “reasons” actually result in Belichick’s exit from the team is still a matter of conjecture. After all, until the aforementioned report becomes official, any details regarding his future ought to be treated as insightful speculation. Still, the Patriots face a difficult decision within the coming weeks. Though the ‘status quo’ has justifiably become unacceptable, jettisoning one of the most successful head coaches of all time — who just happens to have a 24-tenure with the team — could be disastrous if the new ‘HC of the NEP’ does not provide immediate results.
Regardless of the media firestorm threatening to encircle him, Belichick will lead his team to the practice field adjacent to Gillette Stadium on Wednesday. There will be no mention of the reported final year remaining on his contract. Conversations with Kraft concerning his job security will not be given any consideration. Instead, Belichick will solely be concentrating on preparing this group of Patriots for their Sunday afternoon matchup with the Chiefs.
The focus will be on football … and that is just the way their head coach [at least, for now] likes it.
