Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who has won six Super Bowls in New England as the franchise’s head coach and two more as an assistant with the Giants, is reportedly on the hot seat heading into the 2023 season. The comments, along with an interesting tidbit on just how long Belichick has been on the hot seat, came from Patriots beat writer Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston.
“He’s on the hot seat, and he’s been there on different levels of warmth since 2019,” Curran told The Rich Eisen Show on Monday.
🗣️ @tomecurran
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) July 17, 2023
“He’s been there with different levels I’d warmth since 2019.”
The @NBCSBoston #Patriots insider told us if this could really be Bill Belichick’s final year in New England:#NFL pic.twitter.com/VxoT5PPGJM
After giving a contract extension to former linebacker and up-and-coming assistant Jerod Mayo in the offseason, it appears to be clear around New England that he is the likely coach-in-waiting whenever Belichick's tenure with the Patriots comes to a close.
Curran insinuated that another sub-par season could lead to owner Robert Kraft potentially pushing Belichick into a front-office role moving forward, which has long been the assumption of the next steps for Belichick whenever he steps aside. Curran further noted that Mayo would be the likely replacement as coach.
New England is 25-25 over the past three seasons, with one playoff appearance and zero wins since star quarterback Tom Brady left the franchise in free agency following the 2019 season. The Patriots, who were the favorite to win the AFC East for two decades with Brady under center, have since taken a step back in the division and have struggled to maintain the standard of excellence set by Belichick and the future Hall of Fame quarterback in Brady.
The Patriots are long removed from the dynasty days of old and have been a shell of the franchise that won six Super Bowl titles from 2001-2019. Now, with Brady long gone and Belichick struggling in his absence, the coach’s job status could come to a head sooner rather than later if New England struggles on the field again this season.
