After a 4-13 season that left him last place in the AFC East and conference, all eyes are now on Bill Belichick and his pending job status with the Patriots. Throughout the second half of the year, as it became clear that New England’s season had been derailed, Belichick largely evaded questions regarding his future. While the head coach still played close to the vest Monday morning following the team’s Week 18 loss to the Jets to close out the year, Belichick made a rare comment about his contract status.
“I’m under contract,” Belichick said in his opening remarks to the press. “I’m going to do what I always do, which is every day I come in and work as hard as I can to help the team in any way I can. That’s what I’m going to continue to do . … As far as any decisions or direction or anything like that for next year, it’s way too early for that.”
It was reported in October that Belichick signed a multi-year contract with the Patriotswhich would keep him under team control through the 2024 campaign. That said, Belichick disclosing even an ounce of this information to the public is foreign in his more than two decades career within the organization, which may be a telling sign of their current position.
Belichick added that it was a “disappointing season” overall and that “obviously things need to be fixed.”
One topic of discussion that has been considered is the possibility of the Patriots stripping Belichick of his control over the personnel department. He is the de facto general manager of New England and if Robert Kraft wanted to keep him as head coach, it might be possible to reduce his front office role and just let him coach the team.
“Look, I’m all for whatever we decide collectively as an organization to be the best thing to help our football team,” he said when asked if he would give up personnel duties players. “And I have many roles to play in that, and I rely on “a lot of people to help me with those responsibilities. If someone has to have the last word, I’m counting on a lot of other people to help me. And whatever that process is, I am only a part of it. “
As for the upcoming end-of-year meeting with Robert Kraft, Belichick didn’t say when it was scheduled and said it could be a “series of meetings” but that they’re working on it. would occupy internally.
When asked directly if he had received any indication from ownership that his future with the organization was uncertain, Belichick responded: “I’m here to work as hard as I can and help our team each day. This is who I am. go do.”
“I’m going to focus on what I can control and what I can focus on, which is my work ethic and my effort to do what I can to help the Patriots organization that I’m in heavily invested,” he said in response to a question about whether he would be surprised if Kraft decided it was best for him not to be a part of the franchise in the future.
Belichick also acknowledged that he met with Kraft during the season, but did not further detail those conversations.
