There are rumors that Patriots coach Bill Belichick could retire.
From 2001-2019, thew New England Patriots missed the postseason just twice under Coach Bill Belichick. It obviously helped that he had quarterback Tom Brady, the greatest of all-time, for all those years.
But Belichick also was the guy who turned to a young Brady way back in 2001 to take over as the starter. One of those seasons where the Pats did miss out on extra football was 2008 when Brady was lost to a season-ending injury in Week 1.
Brady is long gone, and it’s very possible if not likely that New England will miss the playoffs for the second time in three years. The Patriots enter Week 17 off back-to-back crushing losses to the Las Vegas Raiders and Cincinnati Bengals to see their chances get much longer. Should Belichick’s team lose at home to Miami on Sunday, although the Patriots catch a break as Dolphins starting QB Tua Tagovailoa is out with a concussion, it would be out.
Should New England beat Miami and then win Week 18 at AFC-leading Buffalo, the Patriots would be in. Beating the Bills on their home field would seem hugely unlikely, but Buffalo may have locked up the AFC’s top seed by then and could rest its starters.
To make the playoffs, New England is +430 with no at -620. Whether it does or not, there are rumors that Belichick will step away after the greatest coaching career in NFL history.
Let’s break down a prop on what Belichick is doing Week 1 of the 2023 NFL regular season.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick stands on the sideline during an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Kirk Irwin)
That Belichick is coach of the Patriots for the 2023 opener is -2000, the coach of any other team +750 or retired +1100.
Belichick has won six Super Bowls, easily the most of any head coach. His 31 postseason wins are the most as well. He has 328 overall wins including playoffs are second all-time to Don Shula (347), so if Belichick wanted to catch Shula, he probably would have to coach three more seasons considering the state of the Patriots.
One of the best-known Boston sports fans in the American sports media is Bill Simmons, and he recently said on his podcast: “It’s time, Belichick needs to retire.”
The three-time NFL Coach of the Year hasn’t given any indication he will step away, and he’s by far the league’s highest-paid coach – that has never been officially reported but is believed to be in the ballpark of $20 million per year. Belichick also is the league’s second-oldest coach at age 70. New England is a solid team but nowhere near Super Bowl contention. Is he ready to commit to a mini-rebuild?
At one point, lone-time Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels was considered the heir apparent to Belichick, but McDaniels is currently coaching the Raiders. Then again, they have disappointed and might be willing to let McDaniels out of his contract or take some compensation to let him return to New England.
