Patriots: Bill Belichick has classic response to idea he could leave NE after 2020
By Adam Weinrib
Bill Belichick actually had to address the possibility he’d leave the Patriots after 2020.
Will 68-year-old Bill Belichick consider walking away from the Patriots before the “rebuilding process” commences in earnest?
More importantly, did anybody think they’d get a straight answer from Belichick when they confronted him with such a question?
Belichick appeared on WEEI on Monday on Ordway, Merloni & Fauria, and despite the team’s long-awaited start of the 2020 season being just around the corner, the hosts still forced the grumbling coach to address recent odds claiming he’d be more likely to leave the Pats after the season rather than re-up.
The coach’s response? Pure surliness, proving he’s in a completely different state of mind right now.
Bill Belichick on @OMFonWEEI reacts to one oddsmaker believing this could be his last year in New England https://t.co/0hpZ1TgEjX
— WEEI (@WEEI) September 8, 2020
“Yeah, I am just trying to get ready for Miami,” Belichick fed the hosts, as they prodded him about BetOnline’s latest odds. “I don’t know. Long-term for me would be Sunday.”
Coach, once again … thank you.
It wouldn’t be a Patriots season, in earnest, without Belichick scowling his way through mandated media appearances, refusing to play Boston media members’ games at every turn. You ever wonder why Belichick is always so dismissive in these situations, but so wide open for a detailed discussion every time the particulars of NFL history are the topic of discussion? It’s because that thrills him, and this bores him.
As the season approaches, all indications are that Belichick is legitimately thrilled to be working with Cam Newton, and is ready to plot his future in Foxborough moment by moment.
Bill Belichick with some extremely high praise for Cam Newton on @SiriusXMNFL. Said Newton is in the "top echelon" of competitors that he's coaches. pic.twitter.com/RfBzQFfkR4
— Zack Cox (@ZackCoxNESN) August 31, 2020
The next step of the Patriots’ transition may or may not include Newton, but will likely include The Hoodie, whether he has any inclination of sticking around long-term or not.
Realistically, beyond “Miami,” what could that really mean, after all? Five more years, then a glorious retirement at the age of 73?
For now, we’d say continue taking the odds that he stays in place. After all the hard work he’s done, Belichick will certainly be leaving the QB position secure before he rides a pickup truck off into the sunset.
