New England Patriots Firing Bill Belichick? 'Not a Done Decision' Says Ex Staffer
The New England Patriots have endured a challenging campaign, sitting at 3-10 entering Sunday's home game against the Kansas City Chiefs (8-5). This disappointing season has prompted questions about the future of coach Bill Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl winner who was recently reported to be on his way out of Foxboro but declined to comment any further during his press conference Wednesday.
The report, which came via NBC Sports Boston, delivered a specific underlying message to former NFL executive Michael Lombardi, who worked with the Patriots from 2014-16 as an assistant to the coaching staff.
"I think the timing tells me that what the message really is, we are not going to fire Bill Belichick in-season," Lombardi said on The Pat McAfee Show. "So, if we lose by 21 points on Sunday to the Chiefs, don’t come ask us that we’re going to fire him."
Lombardi added that the decision from Patriots owner Robert Kraft needs to come with a focus on what this move means five years from now.
Belichick's track record speaks for itself - he's coached in and won more Super Bowls than any other coach in league history, and Lombardi clarified the prestige and accomplishments can't be taken away. As such, Lombardi believes the relationship has to be maintained - and if New England opts to keep Belichick as a coach, it's possible the franchise chooses to do so with a new structure in place.
Has Patriots owner Robert Kraft made his decision to part ways with Bill Belichick?
AP Photo/Adam Hunger
"Maybe we need a more collaborative effort as we get later in our careers and as the head coach gets later in his career," Lombardi said. "So maybe they sit down and say, 'Hey, listen, we want to do this with the organization. And the vision we have that is going to move forward doesn’t support the Lone Star model.'"
This would, hypothetically, remove Belichick from his general manager duties but allow him to remain on the sidelines.
Lombardi continued to note the Patriots simply can't replace Belichick with one individual, as his shoes would prove too big to fill.
"You’re just not going to do it," Lombardi said. "I mean, you’re not going to do it from a coaching standpoint. But perhaps you could replace him with three or four more people and have a collaborative organization."
For Lombardi, this is where the conversation surrounding Belichick's job status officially begins.
Will New England approach Belichick with a plea to give up front-office decisions? Or will it simply choose to cut ties and start fresh this offseason?
It's a loaded topic - and a key reason as to why Lombardi believes a final decision hasn't been made on Belichick's future with the Patriots.
"If Bill says 'Yeah, I think I could do that,' then maybe he stays. If Bill says, ‘No, that’s not in the best interest of me,’ then maybe he goes," Lombardi said. "That’s why I don’t see it as a completely done decision. Because this is really about the future of how we want to run the company."
For now, Belichick is focused on preparing the Patriots for Sunday's 1 p.m. EST kickoff against the Chiefs inside Gillette Stadium ... but as the season ticks down, his long-term outlook becomes more and more prominent.
And evidently, filled with questions that may make Kraft's decision all the more complicated.
