Getty Bill Belichick could be out in New England soon.
On a snowy day in Foxboro, Massachusetts, a black-masked New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick unceremoniously walked off the field for potentially one last time.
“As far as the future goes, I’ll sit down with Robert [Kraft] as I always do at the end of the season, and we’ll talk about things as we always do,” Belichick told reporters on Sunday. “I’m sure that will happen.”
Belichick added that “there’s nothing else to talk about” regarding his future. He also described his feelings, or lack thereof, coming off of the field.
“Disappointed about the way the game turned out,” Belichick said.
His Patriots lost to the New York Jets 17-3 on Sunday, which snapped New England’s 16-game winning streak against the AFC East rival. If Belichick never coaches another game with the Patriots, it ends a storied career at the team that sent him to New England and the team he dominated for years.
“We just couldn’t make enough plays to win,” Belichick said. “It’s a disappointing year for all of us — players, coaches, staff, [and] our entire organization. Not anything that any of us are in any way content with.”
Bill Belichick leaves the Gillette Stadium field for perhaps the final time as Patriots coach.
As far as expectations to keep coaching the Patriots, Belichick side-stepped the questions. He became known for giving short answers and not giving away information in his many press conferences.
“It’s disappointing the way the game finished, yeah,” Belichick said. “I enjoy coaching. That’s how I feel.”
Bill Belichick Dominated With Patriots Before Post-Tom Brady Downturn
New York traded Belichick to New England in 2000 to become the head coach. He made history after that with nine Super Bowl appearances and six championships amid a 266-120 record.
His potential final season with the Patriots didn’t reflect that amid a 4-13 finish. Belichick experienced his worst losses and worst record in his 24-year tenure with the franchise for the 2023 season.
It spurred rumors throughout the season that the Patriots could fire Belichick, trade him, or mutually part ways. New England faces a massive rebuild, and the Patriots look poised to hold the No. 3 pick in a quarterback-rich draft.
New England missed the playoffs for the third time in four years plus the fifth-straight year with no playoff victories. The Patriots have one winning season since former quarterback Tom Brady, Belichick’s longtime signal caller, left Foxboro.
Insiders Speculate on Bill Belichick’s Future
FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer, during Sunday’s pregame show, declared that Belichick will be “gone” after the season. That came during the approaching coaching carousel, which could take off on Monday after the season.
“Now it’s just a matter of, do they fire him? Do they decide to part in the next couple of days? Or do they try to hold on and trade him? If they decide to trade him, then that’s going to take a little bit longer. Either way, I think his tenure in New England is over,” Glazer said on the show.
A trade looks like the most unlikely scenario according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. From the Rooney Rule to Belichick’s preferences, Florio wrote that “it’s just not practical” for the Patriots.
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Bill Belichick Addresses Potential Final Game in New England