Bill Belichick, who turns 71 in April, announced in January that he will return to coach the New England Patriots in 2023, his 24th season on the job.
There was no pomp surrounding Belichick’s statement, which is typical. There is no other option for him.
He only said eight words on the announcement before noting that this summer will begin like any other. He’ll speak with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, coaches, and players before deciding on “a comprehensive course of action.” Belichick recognizes the need for improvement after the Patriots finished the season 8-9 and out of the playoffs.
Belichick will not name Jones as his starting quarterback
The Pats can certainly improve at one position: quarterback. Mac Jones started 14 of 17 games, and “lackluster” would be an understatement. His offensive line wasn’t always there to support him, but Jones as a starting quarterback left a lot to be desired. (Like, quite a bit.)
Belichick is not a moron. He is aware of what he has (and does not have) in Jones. So, when asked if Jones will start at quarterback in 2023, Belichick hedged heavily and refused to commit.
Free football picks websites have the Patriots at +5000 or 50/1 odds to win Super Bowl 58.
Belichick also mentioned having Joe Judge and Matt Patricia on his staff, both of whom were former Patriots assistant coaches who had left to pursue their own head coaching careers and were now back in the fold after being dismissed. Belichick said that bringing those individuals back and giving one of them (Patricia) the job of offensive coordinator wasn’t the best idea.
Belichick always wants to do the right thing for His Guys, but when branches of your coaching tree are severed, maybe you shouldn’t try to reattach them with duct tape and a prayer.
Perhaps NFL odds are not important to Belichick. Maybe he just wants one last go at a championship.