20 July 2023 , 14:29
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A statement which felt impossible five years ago could ring true this season - New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick could be on the hot seat.
Known as the greatest head coach in NFL history, winning six Super Bowls as head coach and two as positions coach throughout his legendary career, the narrative seems to have shifted on Belichick. The Patriots will go into their fourth year without Tom Brady this season after he left in 2019 to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - winning another Super Bowl - before retiring this off-season.
Since then, New England have not come close to the dominant force they once were, with many suggesting it was Brady who brought the dominance to the team, rather than the head coach. The Patriots have not won a playoff game since Brady left, and look to have the weakest roster in their division this year - coming up against three Super Bowl contenders in the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.
While Belichick is known as a defensive mastermind - the Patriots have remained a top 10 defence in the last few years - it has been decisions made on the other side of the ball which has troubled them. Belichick made the disastrous decision to not hire an offensive coordinator last season, with quarterback Mac Jones taking a huge step back in his second year - hampering his progression.
Belichick's resume without Brady is not pretty, having lost more games than he has won as head coach without the quarterback. This has seen several players state Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid should be seen as the greatest, rather than Belichick. And now, one of Belichick's own former players has backed that up.
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In an interview with CBS, Asante Samuel Sr was asked if Belichick is the greatest coach of all-time. He said: "Absolutely not. Are you crazy? Look at his record without Tom Brady. You got to win without Tom. One thing I learned about being great, you have to be great in different situations.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady won six Super Bowl's together"It was all Tom, I was there, I saw it, it was Tom. Everybody know it, Tom know it. But he ain’t gonna admit because he wanna be politically correct. That’s why I’m here. Imma tell the truth… I’ve been there, I’ve seen him, I’ve confronted him, that’s how I do."
Should Belichick suffer a losing record with the Patriots this off-season, it might not be long before the head coach leaves as he approaches his 72nd birthday. Belichick will be the oldest head coach in NFL history if he remains with the Patriots until 2025, and will likely need some playoff success without Brady to truly turn the narrative back around.