Bill Belichick shows Patriots loyalty runs deep with rightful shot at the Jets

Because Bill Belichick has now become a face of NFL media through his various ventures for the 2024 NFL season, the former Patriots head coach has already made headlines a few times for his praise and concerns regarding certain players or teams during the first three weeks of the year.

Fortunately for his old team, not much has been said about them other than a quick jab at Jerod Mayo for what Belichick believed was poor time management and high praise for Keion White's ascension as the team's leading pass rusher.

The same cannot be said about some longtime rivals of New England, which is something Belichick seems unable to shake despite no longer coaching in the AFC East.

One of the more interesting storylines of the season so far has been the rise of quarterback Sam Darnold as the stand-in starting quarterback for the Vikings. The 27-year-old spent the first three years of his career with the Jets and didn't exactly live up to the expectations of the third-overall pick during that time.

He became a laughing stock with all the variables considered a draft bust, which led the Jets to trade Darnold to the Panthers in 2021. He has since spent time with the 49ers before signing with the Vikings this offseason to serve as their backup quarterback behind rookie J.J. McCarthy.

That changed when McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury before the season opener, forcing Minnesota to make Darnold their starter on short notice. Most deemed the Vikings season to be over because of it, but he has defied the odds and made the team look like a true NFC contender so far, which Belichick mentioned during a recent appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show."

Bill Belichick can't help but take a shot at the Jets over the treatment of Sam Darnold

Because he has been lighting it up for the Vikings through three games, recording a 68% completion, 657 yards, and eight touchdowns to just two interceptions, Darnold has been a hot topic for NFL media.

He inevitably came up in conversation while Belichick made his weekly appearance on McAfee's show, taking a shot at the team he took a pitstop with and dominated as the Patriots head coach for the last two decades.

Considering how well Darnold has performed in his new environment, with a seemingly stacked offense and well-respected coaching staff, it's fair to believe the Jets failed him and never gave him a fair opportunity to thrive as their quarterback.

That seemed enough to be worthy of the jab at the AFC East team for Belichick, who will likely never shake his loyalty to the team he helped bring six Lombardi trophies to since the start of the new millennium.

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