The Gameplan

Princiotti: Belichick isn't the ‘right coach' for rebuilding Pats

"I don't think he's a good coach for a bad team, and right now they're not a good team."

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Bill Belichick's future with the New England Patriots is in doubt with four weeks remaining in the 2023 regular season.

It's been a disastrous year for Belichick's group, which limps into Week 15 with a 3-10 record and has already been eliminated from postseason contention. The longtime Patriots head coach hasn't found much success since the departure of legendary quarterback Tom Brady, compiling a 28-35 record in the post-Brady era and failing to clinch a playoff berth in three of the last four years.

Those struggles have set the stage for a difficult conversation between Belichick and Pats owner Robert Kraft at season's end. Our Patriots insider Tom E. Curran reports a "decision has been made" on Belichick's future with the team, though nothing is official.

Is it time for Belichick to move on after 24 years in New England? The Ringer's Nora Princiotti shared her take on Wednesday's episode of The Gameplan.

"The moment that stood out to me the most from this Patriots season was after that loss to the Saints. Belichick, I think, hadn't gone for it on either one or two fourth downs. He answered some question about the lack of aggressiveness by saying, 'We're not good enough, we're not good enough on third down. We're not good enough on fourth down. So we can't make those decisions.' And I just remember feeling in that moment, 'Oh, he's not the right coach for this team anymore.'

"I still believe that Bill Belichick has so much to offer an organization as a head coach. There's just no way that you lose that much knowledge, that much ability. But I don't think he's a good coach for a bad team, and right now they're not a good team. It's not a good roster, and so figuring out who's gonna sort of shepherd them out of that darkness, I think is really fascinating. I do think it requires a little bit of maybe acceptance from the Krafts that that's where they are and that's the type of leader that they have to search for. So, that's what I've been really fascinated to watch this season just from a 30,000-foot perspective."

If Belichick coaches elsewhere in 2024, where might he land?

The Washington Commanders have been a popular pick for Belichick's next destination along with the Los Angeles Chargers. Princiotti, however, has a sleeper team in mind.


"This is my sort of out-of-left-field one, but it just seems more possible than it seems like it should be," Princiotti said. "Say the Cowboys get bounced really early in the playoffs and (Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones is just totally fed up. Don't you think that Dallas is one of the few teams that maybe -- I know they look awesome right now -- maybe could have a vacancy where it's the right combination of Belichick could win a lot of games there but the owner has enough money and there's enough sort of prestige and intrigue to go around? It's not out of the question."

Out of the potential landing spots, Dallas would give Belichick the best chance to return to his winning ways. The Cowboys are 10-3 on the season with an MVP candidate at quarterback in Dak Prescott. It doesn't seem like the most likely scenario given the team's success this season, but If they fail to advance to the NFC Championship Game for the 28th consecutive year, Jerry Jones could lose patience with current head coach Mike McCarthy and jump at the opportunity to hire Belichick.

Belichick's future will be among the hottest topics of the NFL offseason. For now, Belichick and the Patriots "are getting ready for Kansas City." They'll host Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

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