Catch up with the latest news surrounding the New England Patriots ahead of the Championship slate of games.
Adam Vinatieri is "bewildered" about Bill Belichick remaining jobless this offseason
One of the most surprising stories of the last several weeks has surrounded Bill Belichick's future, which appeared on track to be in Atlanta. But after a hot start with several interviews, the meetings with the Falcons fizzled out, and the team ultimately went in a different direction with their head coach.
Reports indicated that Belichick was moving in the right direction and was the frontrunner to become the Falcons' next head coach. So when it was announced that more interviews were taking place and Raheem Morris was eventually hired last week, there was a lot of shock about their decision to pass on the 8-time Super Bowl Champion coach.
Former players, including legendary kicker Adam Vinatieri, also share that feeling. Vinatieri recently spoke about his bewilderment at seeing his old coach remain available on "Up & Adams" with host Kay Adams and fellow former Patriot Rob Gronkowski.
"It bewilders me to be honest with you. I really thought when they made that decision, he would have four, five teams that would be a good fit. The ones that I thought potentially could have been a good fit for him, they’re not there or they went in a different direction. It’s interesting, to say the least. But even if he decides on the Atlanta job or if there’s not an opportunity for this year, I don’t think he’ll sit very long. I think the opportunities will come for him. Like I said, I personally haven’t talked to him about his plans, but I’m pretty sure he still wants to get that record.”
Obviously, since speaking about this, the Falcons' job has been filled, and the two remaining head coach vacancies, the Commanders and Seahawks are reportedly not intending to pursue Belichick.
That could mean the longtime Patriots coach could be out of the NFL for the 2024 season, which was completely unexpected.
Kendrick Bourne is reportedly recovering ahead of schedule from ACL tear
One of the Patriots' more under-the-radar free agents this year is wide receiver Kendrick Bourne, who is recovering from an ACL tear suffered during the Week 8 game against the Dolphins.
When he missed the rest of the season, it was a massive blow to the offense, especially since he was on the path to completing the best statistical year of his career. And now, when Jerod Mayo considers rebuilding the roster, he should be treated as a priority re-signing.
Some may be hesitant to do so because he's coming off a significant injury that can drastically change the performance of a player, but he has been a consistently productive member of the Patriots roster over the last three years, and it would be foolish not to extend him a new contract.
The good thing about the latest news surrounding Bourne's recovery is that he is ahead of schedule, something Boston Sports Journal's Mike Giardi revealed in a recent article. It plays well into him returning to New England, which does not have a thrilling roster of receivers under contract for 2025, and Bourne has expressed his desire to return.
DeMarcus Covington is set to be promoted to the Patriots defensive coordinator position
Although the Patriots' search for new offensive and special teams coordinators has not been going well, they have reportedly found their next defensive coordinator in DeMarcus Covington, who has been the team's defensive line coach for the last four years.
He had been touted as the favorite to land the job, especially since he was well respected around the league and expected to be promoted to that role within the next few years, even if it was with another team.
Covington has served multiple positions since joining the Patriots staff in 2017, from coaching assistant to outside linebacker's coach to his most recent role working with the defensive line. He becomes the first new hire to Jerod Mayo's staff and will bring some continuity to the team despite all the significant changes that will be inevitably made since Bill Belichick's departure.
Just 34, DeMarcus Covington impressed on the interview circuit last year and was set to do so again.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 27, 2024
Instead, New England keeps him home as their new defensive coordinator. https://t.co/DZxhU79BSf
New rumor suggests Malik Cunningham is struggling since signing with the Ravens
One of the bigger stories of the 2023 season was the Patriots' decision not to give rookie quarterback Malik Cunningham a chance to start a game despite Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe's apparent struggles. This decision led to Cunningham signing with the Ravens from the Patriots practice squad, triggering a slew of negative responses from New England fans and some players.
Signing with Baltimore felt like the best move for the dual-threat player due to his similar style of play to Lamar Jackson, who was also his teammate at LSU, and how successfully John Harbaugh has utilized his skill set. But since joining the team, he has yet to take any meaningful snaps, and it's now rumored he is struggling on the field with his new team.
According to Boston Sports Journal's Mike Giardi, "sources in Baltimore have told me he’s struggled throwing the ball.”
It certainly makes for a good headline, but it also feels like another weak attempt at discrediting a quarterback who doesn't play a similar style to the average quarterback, much like how the media and fans have treated Jackson since he was drafted in 2019.
Like any other quarterback that uses their speed and agility to make plays just as much, if not more, than they throw the ball, Cunningham's passing stats won't necessarily impress you. However, that doesn't mean has a weak arm or can't throw the football.
Unfortunately, this surely won't be the last time we hear this kind of talk, especially with Jackson playing in the AFC Championship this weekend.