Patriot (No) Way? New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick Unpopular in Players Poll
For two decades, the New England Patriots were both feared and respected for their success under head coach Bill Belichick. However, winning in the NFL isn’t easy, and the Patriot Way at times resembled Jedi training more than the game players grow up loving.
Winning takes sacrifice—at least if one wants to do so consistently.
New England’s success made them somewhat of a destination for free agents. While the Patriots were generally safe with the contracts they handed out, playing with Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady is a pretty good way to lure players into the facilities.
Since Brady’s retirement, things have gone downhill, demonstrably so.
Former first-round quarterback Mac Jones may have seen his last snap in New England, and the offensive infrastructure, from minimal threats out wide to a drought of optimism at offensive coordinator, doesn’t inspire much confidence. Belichick the general manager is far inferior to Belichick the coach, but at this point, they’ve become entangled.
It seems Belichick has not only lost his luster with the New England faithful but with the league at large.
Bill Belichick's popularity is declining along with his Patriots' success.
The Athletic released its players poll on Tuesday. Players were asked a series of questions, but none acted as a referendum on the Patriots quite like asking which coach players would want to play for if not their own.
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was the runaway favorite, gaining over a quarter of votes. Miami Dolphins wonderkid Mike McDaniel was second, followed by 10 other head coaches and then Belichick—netting just 2.1 percent of the vote.
With the league showcasing younger, energetic coaches, it’s not surprising to see up-and-coming teams with dynamic rosters garnering support. Yet, team success clearly played a role, too. Tomlin has yet to face a losing season, and Andy Reid and Pete Carroll both ranked higher than Belichick.
With a sinking ship just miles east of Plymouth, it could very well be the day-to-day operations that made up players' minds. For better or worse, the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks seem to have a damn good time.
Nothing looks fun in New England right now, and if Belichick’s demeanor has stayed true to his reputation, it’s hard to blame players for looking in another direction. Now, the question remains: could it come back to haunt him in free agency and, if so, will the Patriots be the ones bearing that burden?
