Go back in time to January 4, 2000.
At that point, New England and New York history underwent a permanent shift.
It was almost exactly 24 years ago to the day when Bill Belichick was set to be introduced as the New York Jets’ head coach.
That press conference, however, was turned upside down by Belichick on a day that will live on forever in New York City and beyond.
Rather than discussing his plans for the team, Belichick wrote on a piece of paper, possibly even a napkin, that he was leaving his position as the “HC of the NYJ.” He then gave the document to the team’s executives, called a news conference, and that was the end of an odd story.
After serving as the Jets’ defensive coordinator under Bill Parcells, he was the head coach for just twenty-four hours. Naturally, the tabloids had a field day, with the title “Belichicken” appearing on the back page of the New York Post.
But the narrative was far from ended.
Following Belichick’s departure, Robert Kraft, the owner of the Patriots, intervened and, after 23 days, hammered out a deal in which the Jets sent their “head coach” rights to New England in exchange for a 2000 first-round pick and several late-round picks.
Who knew that would turn out to be one of, if not the greatest, trades ever made?
More than two decades later, however, it looks like Kraft’s coup is about to come full circle.
With six championships in his back pocket, and the Jets in town for the 2023 season finale, Belichick and the Patriots are at a crossroads. For the first time, his future in New England is uncertain. With Belichick and team owner Robert Kraft expected to meet Monday to discuss the plan going forward, it’s possible this could be the Hoodie’s swan song at the helm of the Patriots.
Belichick might be on his way out as “HC of the NEP” – without the benefit of a handwritten note.
Call it karma, call it fate. Perhaps it’s even a bit poetic this could be Belichick’s final game coaching the Patriots given the history between the teams.
There’s no team Belichick loathes more than the Jets. It’s also possible there’s no coach the Jets loathe more than Belichick, who has beaten them 15 straight times.
To this point, Kraft hasn’t uttered a peep about his plans for the head coach. Speculation, however, has run rampant in recent weeks, with one report suggesting the decision to part with Belichick was made after the loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany.
Other reports suggest Kraft may be getting cold feet, although in recent days, it seems more likely that the two sides will split. On Thursday, a report in the Boston Herald detailed eye-opening dysfunction in the coaching ranks with all avenues pointing back to Belichick.
Perhaps that was the last, of so many final straws.
Still, it’s not easy to cut ties with the coach who helped bring so much joy and success to the franchise.
Belichick has won 270 regular season games, and 30 playoff games over the course of 24 seasons. He is 16 wins away from tying Don Shula’s all-time mark.
Of late, however, the losses have piled up at an alarming rate. Since Tom Brady’s departure, Belichick is 29-38 (including the playoffs) since No. 12 left the building.
While Belichick can still draw up the Xs and O’s to neutralize most opposing quarterbacks, he’s lost his touch when it comes to the draft and putting together the right personnel and coaching staff for a winning football team.
More to the point, a winning offense.
In a perfect world, the Patriots would have rebounded from the loss of Brady by now, and been on their way to more glory. Belichick would have already seized Shula’s record, and walked off into the sunset when the time felt right, with more Lombardi Trophies on the shelf.
Reality is another story.
This doesn’t feel like a happy ending right now. It is reminiscent of Tom Landry’s latter days in Dallas.
The Cowboys coach had been in charge for 29 years. He enjoyed 20 successful seasons. two championships from the Super Bowl. However, Landry was sacked in the end in 1988 after posting the lowest record in the league with a 3-13 record. The Cowboys had lost three straight seasons and had missed the playoffs four times in the previous five years during the same year.
He promised to restore the team’s glory, but he was unable to do so. Jerry Jones, the new owner, sacked him before the end of his one-year contract.
Belichick also reportedly has a year left in a deal that reportedly pays him $25 million annually. the Patriots don’t have a new owner, but they do have one that hates to lose.
Kraft stated, “Look, I think Bill is exceptional at what he does,” at the March owners meetings. “I’ve granted him the autonomy to decide for himself and do the necessary tasks. I have witnessed firsthand how intelligent and knowledgeable he is about football.
Ultimately, though, this is a business. Either you succeed and prevail, or you fail. Right there is where we are.
It could have to come to that, even though Kraft would prefer to avoid “firing” the coach who brought six titles and as many duck boat parades to New England.
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