The New England Patriots might be looking to shake things up if they struggle once again in 2023, former NFL player Chris Canty believes.
The New England Patriots were for the first 20 years of the 21st century, the gold standard against which other teams were judged. With 17 AFC East titles, 9 Super Bowl trips and 6 Super Bowl titles, it’s a stretch that will probably never be seen in the NFL again.
But after the departure of Tom Brady in 2020, the Patriots have been a shell of themselves. The Buffalo Bills have started to run away with the division with three straight titles, the Patriots haven’t won a playoff game since Brady left and have missed the postseason altogether in 2020 and 2022. Add to that dissension in the ranks concerning 2021 1st rounder and presumed franchise quarterback Mac Jones, and it’s clear to see that the foundations are starting to fall apart at Gillette Stadium.
And if they aren’t able to turn things around this year, former NFL player Chris Canty believes that there might be some even bigger changes coming down the road.
New England Patriots set for a new era after 2023?
Speaking on ESPN’s Get Up (starting at 0:08), Canty claims that if the Patriots have another bad year, then they could start to look towards the idea of moving Belichick off the sidelines and into more of an executive role, pointing to remarks made by owner Robert Kraft during this offseason as a bit of a hint towards the team’s possible intentions:
It's a make-or-break year for Bill Belichick, too. And I'm not saying that Belichick is in danger of being fired. But I could certainly see a world where the Patriots decide to transition Bill Belichick into the front office and go with a fresh face on the sideline.
All you have to do is go back to Robert Kraft comments at the owners meetings late in March, what he said about Bill Belichick. “I think Bill is exceptional at what he does. And I've given him the freedom to make choices and do things that need to be done. But in the end, this is a business you either execute and win or you don't. That's where we're at. I think we're in a transition phase”. Now this is a team that hasn't won a playoff game in the last three years out of the tournament to in the last three years. They're not used to being in this territory.
New era could be a new reality for the New England Patriots
Given how competitive the AFC East looks like it is going to be this year, with the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins looking like they could put up a reasonable challenge to the division-champion Bills, a 4th place finish for the Patriots doesn’t look impossible.
And if that is the case, it really would be a sign of just how far the Patriots have fallen, and might just be the catalyst to make a change like Canty has mentioned.