End of an Era: Bill Belichick No Longer the Coach for the New England Patriots
Photo courtesy Stan Grossfeld/ Globe Staff
Throughout my entire life, Bill Belichick has been the coach for the New England Patriots on Thursday Belichick has parted ways with the Patriots. This past Sunday Belichick coached his final game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium as the Patriots fell 17-3. He won’t be remembered for this game or this season. Belichick will be remembered for his accomplishments and what he has done for the New England Patriots since 2000.
We all know the story: Belichick resigned as head coach from the Jets and was traded to the Patriots for a first-round pick in 2000. Fast forward to today, Belichick is the only head coach in NFL history to win six Super Bowl titles. Coaching the Patriots for 24 seasons, Belichick also leads the most Super Bowl appearances as a head coach with nine. He also entered his 49th consecutive year as an NFL coach, which is the most consecutive seasons for any NFL Coach. He is arguably the greatest NFL coach of all time.
Photo Courtesy AP Photo/Adrian Kraus)
Accomplishments aside, coming out of the post-Tom Brady era hasn’t been too kind to Belichick; he has only made one playoff appearance since Brady left. His record without Brady is 85-105. You can argue that Belichick isn’t a good coach without Brady, but I don’t think that is true. If you look at the signings and draft picks Belichick has made, they just don’t have the talent. If you have been following this season, you would know that the Patriots are just not a good team. Injuries are something that a lot of people don’t mention. This season the Patriots lost Matthew Judon, Christian Gonzalez, and Kendrick Bourne to season-ending injuries.
A Lot of questions are going to surround the Patriots and Bill. Where do the Patriots go from here? Where will Belichick coach? I personally think either Mike Vrabel or Jarod Mayo will be the head coach for the Patriots this upcoming year. I am sure the Kraft’s will hire someone to operate the GM role. I am excited personally because the Patriots are hitting the reset button and starting something fresh.
As for Belichick, I could see him likely going to the Chargers. They have their quarterback in Justin Herbert and have a talented squad. There are other teams you can put him in; he was linked to the Commanders, Raiders, and the Panthers. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network said on Sunday, "There is also the possibility that a team with a head-coaching position not yet open could have interest in Belichick." It will be interesting to see where the greatest NFL coach of all time will go looking ahead to the NFL offseason.
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