Bill Belichick might be approaching the end of his tenure in charge of the New England Patriots based on his recent actions, John Middekauf believes.
The New England Patriots are in danger of entering a period of irrelevance in the National Football League, something that people under the age of about 30 just haven’t been used to experiencing given their dominance over the league during the 2000s and 2010s.
They have missed the playoffs in two of the past three seasons, and given the way the AFC East is shaping up, with the Buffalo Bills out in front, the New York Jets in the process of picking up Aaron Rodgers and the Miami Dolphins on the rise, you can make the argument that the Patriots could be the 4th best team within their own division.
You can also make the argument that they aren’t doing all that much to improve the situation that they have, especially when it comes to quarterback, with head coach Bill Belichick appearing to flat-out refuse to look into the possibility of signing former league MVP Lamar Jackson, this despite Jackson reportedly telling owner Robert Kraft (via rapper Meek Mill) that he wants to join them.
And that might not be the only sign of stress between the owner and head coach.
Bill Belichick on borrowed time with the New England Patriots?
Speaking during the recent league owner’s meetings (via NBC Sports), Kraft pointed out that he wasn’t happy with how things turned out last season and that changes needed to take place in order to get them heading on the right path:
My objective for our team is that we make the playoffs, because once you make the playoffs, anything can happen. But if you don’t, then your season ends in a way that doesn’t make me very happy. ... So I thought changes had to be made, and I think we made some moves and changes that I think give me, personally, some hope for the upcoming season.
Comments that, combined with the Jackson situation, led John Middlekauf to think that Belichick’s time might be coming to an end.
Video: John Middlekauf discusses New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick (warning, some explicit language):
Do New England Patriots need to start planning for a new era?
Whilst the past few years might be seen as a blip for the Patriots, if it goes on any longer then it can’t be classed as a blip anymore, but a serious problem, and whilst Belichick has a lot of credit in the bank for what he has delivered in the past, that is only going to last him for so much longer before bigger questions need to be asked.
It might not be at the end of this season, it might not be at the end of 2024, but sooner or later the Patriots need to work out if he really is the best man to take them forward as an organisation, or if they need to think about moving off and into a new era of Patriots football without him.