Patriots News: Bill Belichick, Rob Gronkowski, Adrian Klemm & J.C. Jackson

As the Patriots prepare to fly off to Germany for their first-ever game in the country against the Colts in Week 10, there's plenty of news (and rumors) to catch up with.

New rumor suggest Bill Belichick leaked report about his offseason multi-year extension

There has been a lot of speculation surrounding the leak about Bill Belichick's contract extension that reportedly took place before the start of the 2023 season. Because of its timing, just hours before game time, and the fact it came from a historically tight-lipped franchise, there has been some belief that the person responsible for the leak was Belichick himself.

That theory has gained more traction in recent days, with Ben Volin of the Boston Globe sharing his belief regarding Belichick's possible motive in wanting the details made public.

"Taken at its face, the report indicated that Belichick will be back with the Patriots next year. But two people close to the team believe the report was really Belichick sending a message to Robert and Jonathan Kraft: ‘Don’t forget that I signed a multiyear contract. If you fire me, I have a big, fat buyout coming, and I intend to collect every penny.'"

He makes an interesting point, especially since the most common narrative about Belichick this season has been about him losing his touch, and it's time for the Krafts to move on from him, whether mid-season or by season's end.

That could be all it took for Belichick to want the details about his contract out there, settling any debate about his job security right now and in the future. The problem with that is it doesn't mean he won't inevitably be let go anyway.

Sure, the Patriots would be on the hook to pay him whatever amount they agreed to and the duration of time the contract says. But that is unlikely to be a roadblock for a team owner who believes it's time to let go of a legendary head coach like Belichick. If he's come to that hard decision, he's probably willing to take on the ramifications of doing so.

Plus, other rumors suggest there have already been conversations about potential successors to Belichick as soon as next season, including Mike Vrabel. That makes it seem like he's not as untouchable as previously thought.

But at the end of the day, it's still all just a string of rumors. When it comes to the Patriots, nothing is ever truly revealed until something actually happens, and it's easy to add more gossip to an already sizzling fire of speculation like the team has been dealing with all season.

Rob Gronkowski says the 2023 Patriots "don't look like a Coach Belichick team"

As one of the handful of former Patriots in the national media nowadays, Rob Gronkowski is constantly asked about his old team, mainly while appearing on FanDuel TV's "Up & Adams."

Since it's not the most pleasant team to discuss right now, especially when you still have strong connections there, Gronk had a lot to say about the current state of the Patriots. As they sit with a 2-7 record heading into their Week 10 matchup with the Colts in Germany, he shared a blunt take, stating the team does not look like one that Bill Belichick coaches.

"It is a little weird that they're in last place with the worst record in the AFC. That's weird. It's hard to talk about it because it's so weird. I would say they don't look like a Coach Belichick team. They don't look like they're coached by Coach Belichick at all."

Although it's not fun to hear criticism about the Patriots, Gronk's impression is not unwarranted. It has become one of the most common talking points around New England as the Patriots continue to play the complete opposite of what most fans and media have become accustomed to under Belichick.

Poor decision-making, careless mistakes, piling up of penalties, etc., are all the uncharacteristic traits to describe the 2023 Patriots, all of which have typically been what Belichick has been praised for keeping his team from not doing over the years.

On top of that unfavorable list of issues with the team, Gronk shared what he feels is the biggest one they are yet to overcome: closing out games. He gives their latest loss to the Commanders as the most recent example, mentioning the final pass from Mac Jones to JuJu Smith-Schuster, which fell through his hands and resulted in an interception.

It was just the latest in a string of heartbreaking one-score losses to add on the year.

"The problem with the Patriots is they're in a lot of games, they just don't know how to seal the deal. For example, the game last week against the Commanders, JuJu Smith-Schuster had the game-sealing drop to lose the game. They had another opportunity, but JuJu dropped the ball. If you go back to a couple of the other games, there are many situations like that where they can't close at all. This team can't close and that's the main problem."

It's difficult to agree that their inability to finish games is their main problem since they have so many they've been dealing with this year. But it's undoubtedly one of their most frustrating.

Adrian Klemm will reportedly miss time due to health concerns

During his press conference on Wednesday, Bill Belichick shared with reporters that offensive line coach Adrian Klemm will be “out a little while” for health-related issues. He didn't provide any further comment and reiterated he would not give any more details, particularly due to the nature of the topic.

First and above all else, hopefully, Klemm will be okay and overcome whatever health problem he is dealing with. Patriots fans, of course, wish him a speedy recovery and hope he gets well soon.

Outside of that, Klemm's absence couldn't come at a worse time. The offensive line has struggled most of the season, and now that they'll be down their new head coach, it's likely to throw another wrench into the mix.

It is inarguably a positive that they have Billy Yates to step up in Klemm's place since he has been an assistant offensive line coach for the Patriots for the last two seasons. And hopefully, the consistency of a known coach will make the transition, however long it may be, run smoothly.

More issues from the offensive line are one of the last things the team needs right now, so fingers crossed that all will be well.

Mike Pellegrino says the "narrative is a little messed up" about J.C. Jackson, Jack Jones and Shaun Wade

Within the drama surrounding J.C. Jackson and Jack Jones's apparent benchings have been comments about the player who started the game in their place, Shaun Wade. The 25-year-old got the start against the Commanders last week, which prompted the question of why.

Other than most wanting context for Jackson and Jones's limited availability, some criticized Wade's inexperience playing cornerback for the Patriots, pointing out his lack of defensive snaps in the previous two games.

Since rumors have been floated about the alleged behind-the-scenes issues involving Jackson and Jones, which resulted in them not being on the field to start the game, cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino made sure to discuss the chatter when speaking to the press on Wednesday.

He reiterated the talking point by Belichick that every cornerback played on Sunday but also shared his displeasure with how all three players are being discussed in the wrong ways, referring to it all as a messed up narrative.

"I feel like the narrative’s a little messed up. Like, what did Shaun do to really earn that? Everyone’s trying to make it about those two. I think the narrative should be more pushed towards, ‘What did Shaun do right to earn that opportunity?’ Because Shaun has done a lot of great things here for us in this past year and is a different player than what he has been in the past."

It's a fair argument, especially since Wade is clearly talented enough to take up a spot on the game-day roster. It's unnecessary to paint him as a player who only got an opportunity because those ahead of him were not allowed to hit the field yet.

However, his answer didn't explain much about the point he was trying to make. Maybe it's not a conversation he wants to get into because of all the coverage of the situation. That makes sense but leaves out context that would cement his take.

Pellegrino assured reporters that he wasn't trying to create any sort of new drama or narrative with his response, clarifying that all players were ready if they were at the game while also trying to play down the intensity of the drama surrounding Jackson and Jones.

"I’m not trying to create a narrative. I trust all my guys. They all went in and played. I’ve said this from Week 1. If they’re at the game, that means they’re ready. They’re prepared and they’re ready to go into the game."

How this all plays out will be interesting to watch unfold, even more so now that Jackson is reportedly not making the trip to Germany for the upcoming game.

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