Get updated with the latest news surrounding the New England Patriots as they prepare on a short week for their Thursday Night Football matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14.
Robert Kraft allegedly has a preference for possible breakup with Bill Belichick
With just five games left of the 2023 season and the Patriots appear to be heading to nowhere, the debate about what Bill Belichick's coaching future will hold in New England, or anywhere else in the league, heightens.
Could this be the last five games we see of the legendary head coach on the New England sideline? If so, where will he land next year, and how will he get there?
According to some insiders, like Albert Breer, the most desirable scenario, and the one Robert Kraft would allegedly prefer if a breakup is inevitable would be to trade Belichick to receive compensation for a well-respected and would likely be a highly sought-after coach.
Although that may seem obvious to some, the most discussed hypothetical outcome has concluded that Belichick would either be fired from his current position or leave on his own accord, leaving out the possibility of being traded.
Given the circumstances and the difficult position that Kraft could be put in during the offseason, receiving valuable assets in return for a head coach who brought all that you could ever imagine to your franchise is the only thing that makes sense. Despite his forgettable last few seasons, Belichick would be a top available candidate for any head coach needy team to hire.
They won't focus on what he's done recently; they'd look at his resume and the long list of accomplishments no one ever expected he could bring to a team. So, if Kraft chooses to part ways with Belichick, striking a deal with the team wanting to hire him should be the priority, and it appears it will be.
Jahlani Tavai reacts to Jabrill Peppers' hot mic moment from Week 12 game
After NFL Films released a clip of Jabrill Peppers greeting his former teammate Saquan Barkley in their loss to the Giants last week, catching the safety saying, "You lucky we a**," in reference to the Patriots, there was a lot of speculation about how his coaches and teammates would react upon seeing it.
Before anyone associated with the team was asked about the video, Peppers took the time to apologize for his comment in a lengthy response, taking ownership of the situation and regretting his words during a moment of frustration.
The moment prompted reporters to ask Bill Belichick about it since he would surely be unhappy about it going viral, right? Surprisingly, no; he had a much different response, which continues with Peppers' teammate Jahlani Tavai.
While appearing on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" last week, Tavai was asked about the hot mic moment and reacted similarly to his head coach.
"It is what it is, what he said. I’m not frustrated on what he said. We’re all caught up with emotions, and I’m sure he was as well. We weren’t happy with the outcome. So, sometimes our emotions get the best of us and I’m sure that happened. I have nothing against (Peppers)."
It's an admirable response considering how his teammates could have reacted, but because of how the Patriots season has progressed and the leadership role that Peppers has risen to this year, it's fair to assume the guys around him understand where his frustrations are coming from.
The defense has played lights out over the last three games, holding their opponents to 10 points or under, but unfortunately, they still lost the game. The frustration from Peppers presumably stems from the offense not pulling their weight, a feeling shared by even the fans watching at home.
But that's not an emotion felt by Tavai regarding Peppers, who doubled down on his stance that he didn't care what he said and complimented his teammate for the work he puts in every single day.
"(Peppers) out there every day, every game busting his butt. So, I can’t be frustrated or mad about it. Just got to make sure that we play better so we don’t have that reoccurring theme where somebody thinks we’re a** on our own team."
"Just got to make sure that we play better so we don’t have that reoccurring theme where somebody thinks we’re a** on our own team."
He makes a good point, and there's no arguing with that.
Jahlani Tavai reacts to Jabril Peppers' "You lucky we ass" comment after the Patriots loss on Sunday pic.twitter.com/dIEhppLfMa
— The Greg Hill Show (@TheGregHillShow) December 1, 2023
Rhamondre Stevenson could (but really should) miss the rest of the season
Other than the obvious reason of playing so poorly, they now have the second overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft as enough of an indication that this Patriots season is not fun, the continued piling up of injuries week after week makes it feel like this year is not just bad, but cursed.
Maybe that's being dramatic, but with the latest injury to Rhamondre Stevenson from Sunday's game against the Chargers, that's the overwhelming feeling around New England, especially hearing it may keep him out until next season.
The running back left the game with an ankle injury that didn't look good from the start. Initial x-rays came back negative, but the belief was he suffered a high ankle sprain that would keep him out for a few weeks.
Since there are only four games left, and the Patriots are all but officially eliminated from contending for the playoffs, it's hard to argue against keeping Stevenson sidelined until next year.
An MRI could confirm that to be what his future holds, but even if that's not the case, it's what should happen. There's no point in risking further injury or having him hurry back during a season that's going nowhere.
Bailey Zappe appears to be the QB1 for Thursday Night's game vs. the Steelers
Given how the Week 13 game went and ended and how Bailey Zappe wasn't able to accomplish much more with the offense than Mac Jones had, there was some speculation that a quarterback change-up would be happening for a second week in a row. That appears not to be the case, as Zappe was the guy speaking to reporters on Tuesday, a sign that he will be the starter on Thursday.
While standing at the podium, he was asked that very question but chose to coyly respond and leave the announcement to be made up to Bill Belichick.
"Coach has, you know, made it pretty clear. But I’ll let him announce it to everybody. That’s private right now, and whenever he announces it, that’s with him."
Perhaps because they play on a short week, Belichick decided it was best to stick with Zappe rather than hand the keys back to Mac Jones or see what Malik Cunningham could do. If that's the thinking, it makes sense. But when looking at how last week's game progressed, with Zappe unable to lead the offense to even within field goal range and the Patriots ultimately lost 6-0, it wouldn't be a questionable decision to try out a different guy under center just a few days later.
An inevitable change could happen in the final three weeks of the season, a time when maybe Cunningham gets a shot, or we finally see if Will Grier has been deserving of the chance that many fans believed he had earned.