Patriots insider reveals details on upcoming Bill Belichick-Robert Kraft meeting
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At the end of every season, Bill Belichick and Robert Kraft meet to discuss how the year unfolded and expectations for what's to come. With just one game left on the 2023 schedule, that meeting is set to take place on Monday, and since so many rumors and storylines have come out of the season, it's believed a decision about Belichick's future may come as soon as next week.
It will be one of the more critical discussions between the head coach and team owner, which have become standard in recent years due to the fall of the Patriots from their dynasty years.
But this year feels more significant than in years past, not just because the team failed to make the postseason and have a long list of issues, but because of the question marks surrounding personnel and one of the most important positions on any football team, the quarterback.
Longtime Patriots insider Mike Reiss revealed details about the upcoming meeting during an appearance on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Thursday afternoon. He reiterated Kraft's disappointment with how the team has fared and that their final meeting may be the start of an eventual breakup or the coming to a mutual understanding and plans for the future.
“Here’s my understanding of what’s going to unfold. Team owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft have a meeting with Bill Belichick that is currently scheduled for Monday, and they’re going to be looking for some answers as to why things have fallen off so dramatically this season.
“Robert Kraft has been very disappointed with the way this season has unfolded, naturally, and people that are close to him relay to me that that disappointment has been so extreme to the point that he has strongly considered moving on from Belichick. But these people also tell me that no decision has been made at this point, and that’s why this final meeting will be so important.”
Given how long their partnership has been, it's not surprising that Kraft hasn't made a final decision yet. And that feels like the most fair thing to do, considering how much Belichick has done for the team. But we also know Kraft has been unhappy with how the team has been put together, coached, and played in the years since Tom Brady left, which Belichick will have to explain during their conversation.
Reiss believes this will be the opportunity for the coach to take responsibility for his part in what has led the team down this path and essentially sell him on what he thinks is the best for the future.
It will be interesting to see how this goes down and what becomes of it, especially on the heels of the bombshell report by the Boston Herald. The decision will be franchise-altering, and depending on what Kraft ultimately decides, we will have a better grasp of his outlook for the team.
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