Report: Kraft has had discussions about potentially moving on from Belichick

[mike_usagisan]

Does Steve actually run the defense, though? How much input does Mayo (who looks like he’s making the calls at times this season) have? How much input does Bill have?

Good question. I've heard in the past that Steve calls the plays and Mayo coordinates. But what that means has never been clear to me. I get the impression that Steve is the Xs and Os guy and Mayo is running the meetings, etc. And Bill oversees all of it.

My thing is, I'm fine if Bill gets fired. I just think the defense is pretty solid if they want to try to keep all of it or some of it together, including retaining Mayo and/or Steve.

 

[chasa]

This happens to all the teams who dont have a legit QB. Heck, john harbaugh has done nothing since the SB. even went 5-11. he now has had lamar for 3-4 yrs and what has he done? Why is there no call for firing. ? Same with tomlin . What has he won in the last 13 yrs ?

The fact is is BB isnt media friendly so the whole mediaverse is on him to get him fired the first time it looks really really bad . And boston media is uniqie in this where they take special pride in getting him fired. and it will work because kraft has no spine to stand up to criticism and look objectively.. It wont do much until they find the QB. Look at buffalo . they went through their cycle of QBs until they hit on allen.

The Ravens are competitive

The steelers are Competitive.

I don't need the patriots to win 17 games each season, I don't even need them to have a winning record. What I need is for them to at least show up to the game, and for the last 3 weeks they have not shown up. it's legitimately the worst team in the league, that has been trending down for the last 3 years. I don't trust Bill to make the choices needed to fix it after hiring patrica and after the roster moves he made this year. Defense first teams are not good enough anymore.

 

[203Pat]

I want him to finish out the year just so we finish with a bad enough record to get a top 5 pick.

 

[Ring 6]

The Ravens are competitive

The steelers are Competitive.

I don't need the patriots to win 17 games each season, I don't even need them to have a winning record. What I need is for them to at least show up to the game, and for the last 3 weeks they have not shown up. it's legitimately the worst team in the league, that has been trending down for the last 3 years. I don't trust Bill to make the choices needed to fix it after hiring patrica and after the roster moves he made this year. Defense first teams are not good enough anymore.

If you are content with mediocrity and think “competitive” means 9 wins is good January and February aren’t important, your attitude would have prevented a 20 year 6 ring run.

 

[RobertWeathers]

I feel like this is all speculation.
But it wouldn’t and doesn’t surprise me.
If they stay Pat without trading for OL or WRS I know the tank is on.

Anything from Breer is speculation. He is a ****ty reporter.

...but I do think this is real in the sense RKK wants to separate from BB in a respectful, amicable way.

 

[ScottishPatriots]

They'll give it to Mayo and he'll fall flat on his face, what's the difference between him and every other Belichick clone who sucks?

It's pointless firing Bill and giving it to "Bill Jr", that's like moving on from your wife and living with her family, the best bit about the Mayo hype is the credit he gets when the defense has a good game but when it sucks it's cause of Steve Belichick

 

[borg]

 

[Ring 6]

So this genius writer thinks that professional football players sit out of practice when they are healthy because a conspiracy theory is more important than their careers?

 

[vicspats]

Kraft is all about image. I don't see any chance he fires Belichick outright without giving him a chance to resign first. Kraft doesn't want to go down in history as the guy who fired Belichick. I don't think it is in his DNA.

I see that as a potential “ out” as well ..all things considered Billy was one of the main reasons Krafty went from kinda rich to filthy rich

 

[Ross12]

I wouldn’t fire him now. Give him a chance to try and turn things around. If he doesn’t, and things remain the same, let him go on Black Monday and begin working on the succession plan.

I feel like his hands are tied as far as being able to turn it around though. The number of injuries is kind of crazy and I just get this feeling that Kraft has slapped his hand a little bit as far as using future cap...

 

[JarOfMayo51]

If Kraft parts ways with BB I always thought after 23 years and 6 titles BB would get the courtesy of resigning or retiring gracefully instead of the team firing him outright.

Now I'm not so sure they will give him that courtesy.

I think it would be a bad look for Kraft to fire him outright unless BB gave him no choice

He deserves to resign/retire, and if its for retirement he deserves a giant send off as well.. and should have a statue erected right next to Tom Brady's infront of Gilette

 

[Hyped]

Albert Breer? The same guy who was once kicked out of a Belichick press conference? LOL

I am sure discussions have occurred between Bob and Jonathan, but nobody else on earth was privy to those conversations....

 

[SVN]

The Ravens are competitive

The steelers are Competitive.

I don't need the patriots to win 17 games each season, I don't even need them to have a winning record. What I need is for them to at least show up to the game, and for the last 3 weeks they have not shown up. it's legitimately the worst team in the league, that has been trending down for the last 3 years. I don't trust Bill to make the choices needed to fix it after hiring patrica and after the roster moves he made this year. Defense first teams are not good enough anymore.

they are compettive now. Ravens were 5-11 one season . So compare the seasons. Sean payton had how many losing seasons with Brees as his QB. Why doesnt he get any heat for that ? And people wanted him here last yr.
No one thought this yr would be worse than last yr with better coaching staff especially after 2 weeks. but here we are. sh*t happens .15 mins in dallas has suddenly exposed 3 yrs of futility(?). Fact is this team is not good mentally and the loss of gonzaless and judon along with the make shift oline has made it worse along with mac regressing even worse than last yr with patricia.

 

[Steve102]

I think it would be a bad look for Kraft to fire him outright unless BB gave him no choice

He deserves to resign/retire, and if its for retirement he deserves a giant send off as well.. and should have a statue erected right next to Tom Brady's infront of Gilette

You'd have to think that Bill is smart enough to know he's not getting it done, Tedi Bruschi alluded to that fact earlier this week.

He should 100% be allowed to resign/retire under his own authority. Any talk of firing him mid-season is ludicrous, done by people with an axe to grind, and should be given zero credibility. Kraft knows that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady made the Kraft family millions of dollars and changed the value of the franchise forever, and he's not about to damage that by making a knee jerk reaction because some talking head or internet keyboard cowboy has his panties in a bunch.

The scenario of Bill being too stubborn and giving Kraft no choice is not going to happen, much to the chagrin of aforementioned haters. Bill will almost certainly bow out, which again was alluded to by Tedi.

Fire Bill Now folks will have to calm themselves. He will be retired, and he will be given an elegant send off. He's not gonna end up like Ned Stark with his head on a spike. (see what I did there?)

 

[RIpats88]

I think Bill will walk Into the sunset. He's at least earned that as bad as he's been.

The way this roster looks it will be 5-10 years before he reaches Shula's record

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

I was Team Billl for a long time, its pretty clear hes lost it and not just as a gm where he’s obviously failed big time in recent years. We exhibit so many traits of a poorly coached team.

-One of the worst in the league in turnovers, if not the worst.

-Underperforming on special teams.

-Bonehead, killler penalties all over the place.

- since 2020, we find ways to lose almost all super close games, unless we are playing zach Wilson or some other inept/backup level qb . Only exception was the wind game in buffalo in 21

This years team in particular is underperforming even for its mediocre talent level. Even last year the team clawed its way to 8 wins, we’re not winning close to that much this year. It’s obvious that either he or mac (or both) has lost the locker room and people aren’t fighting as much as in previous years. Everything is steadily getting worse as others have pointed out. Hes gotta step down at season’s end or Kraft has to pull the plug.

 

[gobesmug]

If they fired him now, Kraft could bring in a consultant to help facilitate trades before the deadline to move assets and ensure the values are good, maybe do an extension or two with players he really likes. I don't know if he wants Bill or his current personnel staff doing all of that. They would also have a bit of a free pass for a bad record - "we fired our coach midseason, it was hard to re-organize and win" - and Kraft can talk to the media the back half of the year about all the things he's gonna do this winter and spring to get the organization back on track.

Well to further on that thought, dumping the coach and staff then trading away any decent vet would almost secure a top 3 pick in every round of next years draft which would help the team a lot more than some moral victory of getting Belicheck back to .500 this year.

 

[cmasspatsfan]

Good question. I've heard in the past that Steve calls the plays and Mayo coordinates. But what that means has never been clear to me. I get the impression that Steve is the Xs and Os guy and Mayo is running the meetings, etc. And Bill oversees all of it.

My thing is, I'm fine if Bill gets fired. I just think the defense is pretty solid if they want to try to keep all of it or some of it together, including retaining Mayo and/or Steve.

I don't get the Steve hate, maybe jealousy because their fathers weren't brilliant football coaches and couldn't work in the NFL themselves. Half the league is nepotism and why wouldn't it be, if your father and your father's father were football coaches, chances are you would be too and probably good at it.

 

[TheRainMaker]

I don't get the Steve hate, maybe jealousy because their fathers weren't brilliant football coaches and couldn't work in the NFL themselves. Half the league is nepotism and why wouldn't it be, if your father and your father's father were football coaches, chances are you would be too and probably good at it.

It’s because he’s not really known for anything and gets to hide behind his Daddy. There’s no DC for a reason so the blame can’t be put on him.

My question to him would be, why would you want to be on your father’s staff? No matter how well the defense plays, Bill will take all the credit. Steve needs to go make a name for himself elsewhere like Shanahan, McVay, Ryan Brothers and others did. He will eventually have to do it.

 

[Kontradiction]

I don't get the Steve hate, maybe jealousy because their fathers weren't brilliant football coaches and couldn't work in the NFL themselves. Half the league is nepotism and why wouldn't it be, if your father and your father's father were football coaches, chances are you would be too and probably good at it.

Not hate. I don’t hate the guy. I just don’t have any respect for him. And no, the last thing I would want to do is coach at the pro level. It’s a lonely life. You’re working 12-16 hour days half the year. **** that.

Re: your last sentence - brilliant businessmen have thought like that… only for their sons to crash and burn in spectacular fashion. Dad being an excellent DC doesn’t mean Steve is. If he moves on to a new team and has success there, I’ll respect him much more then.