Tanking Season? New England Patriots Insider Reveals Shocking Stance
At 1-5 and with Tom Brady not walking through the door in Foxboro, the New England Patriots have crumbled from dynasty to doormat. Which, for the franchise with six Super Bowl trophies, brings into play some foreign concepts.
Tanking. It's a term describing a team intentionally losing - or tanking - games in order to secure better draft position for the following season. The practice is usually frowned upon, and no team ever wants to admit that they're doing it.
The thought of the Patriots ever tanking after having the NFL under their thumb for two decades once seemed unthinkable. But times have changed.
At 1-5, any chance for a playoff appearance this season seems remote at best. Sweeping changes may be in store after the season, which begs the question: could the Patriots resort to tanking?
They already sent a heavy contingent of scouts to last weekend's Washington-Oregon game to see up-close two quarterbacks that will likely be drafted in the Top 5 next April: Bo Nix and Michael Penix.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft with
Clutchpoints
According to Mike Giardi of Boston Sports Journal, some members of the Patriots' executive branch are open to the idea.
“Plenty of folks in the upper reaches of the building would rather have more losses than a win or two that could cost draft positioning,” Giardi wrote Wednesday. “In fact, some are already talking about next year. That’s what 1-5 will do for you.”
No matter what anyone in the front office wants, New England players and coaches won't tank willingly. Players are fighting for their future in the league, and the same goes for many assistant coaches. Longtime Patriots coach Bill Belichick is also looking to secure his legacy, sitting on the precipice of 300 victories and chasing Don Shula's all-time wins record.
The team's brass, though? That's a different story.
As the Patriots have continued to struggle in recent weeks, more and more reports about owner Robert Kraft's displeasure with the team's performance have come to light. If New England continues to underperform, it wouldn't be a surprise to see Kraft wipe the slate clean.
