Could New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick be in trouble if he fails to have a winning season in 2023? Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio seems to think so.
When appearing on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show on Monday, Florio offered speculation on Belichick’s job security should the team not make the playoffs once again.
New England has failed to make the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. They finished 8-9 last season, amid offensive confusion and clear frustrations from quarterback Mac Jones.
The Patriots will not have the luxury of relaxing, either. They will have the hardest schedule in the NFL, starting with the Philadelphia Eagles in the season opener. It will be a test for an offensive unit that has undergone changes, as well as for a defense that looks to continue to play at a high level.
Florio speculated that Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft are not on the same page, as transcribed by WEEI’s Mike Kadlick.
“I think the comments that Robert Kraft made at the league meetings in Arizona in late-March were not received with the significance they should have,” Florio said. “Robert Kraft didn’t say ‘hey [Belichick] is here as long as he wants to be’ or ‘hey he’s here until he breaks Don Shula’s record’… he said ‘we want our players to get statistics, but more important, we want to win football games’, and I got the impression from the way he answered the question that another season of no playoffs could be a major problem for Bill Belichick.”
New England will have to keep pace in a division that got stronger in the offseason. Another losing season for Belichick may force Kraft’s hand in making a change.
