The 2023 Patriots are right in the “hot mess” category. The latest humiliation for a proud franchise occurred a few days ago. The Week 15 game against the Chiefs was the first time in history that the flex started on Monday night.
Yes, the Patriots are so bad that the NFL removed Patrick Mahomes’ games from primetime.
The NFL can be flexible, but it can’t hide from the Patriots. New England plays the Steelers on Thursday night at Amazon. The Patriots are so short on talent right now that the promo for the contest during Thursday’s Seahawks-Cowboys game featured an image of coach Bill Belichick.
And on Christmas Eve, the Broncos will host the Patriots in a solo game on NFL Network. Denver will be the favorite to win. The Patriots will be the spoiler. Millions of people will choose to watch George Bailey jump off a bridge or Ralphie Parker shoot his eyes out.
Fortunately, the season ends with a home game against the Jets in Week 18.Good for Belichick team Basically, you will receive coaching for one day. It will be the last team he will face in his 24 years in New England.
So what happens after that game is over? It became a foregone conclusion that Belichick would be gone. Will he be fired? Will he quit? Will he retire? Will the two end up parting ways?
Another option for the Patriots would be to keep Belichick unless another team comes calling to trade his contract with the Patriots. However, the Patriots will have to continue their own search for a new coach. That’s why the most likely outcome could be a separation for some reason rather than a firing, and the Patriots could receive compensation later if another team expresses interest in hiring Belichick. I can do it.
Such a move would carry some risk for the Patriots. If they want more from Belichick, he can always say: I will continue to coach the Patriots. ” And Belichick is smart enough to want to minimize the number of draft picks other teams would have to give up to get him. That would limit the resources available to him at his next destination.
For that reason alone, Belichick will want to become a free agent. The Patriots will seek compensation. Belichick’s only play to avoid giving up compensation to the next team would be to dig in his heels and say, “I’m not quitting.”
The end result could be a high-stakes game of chicken between Belichick and owner Robert Kraft, and it would be far more fascinating than any game the Patriots have played this year.
Of course, that’s a pretty low bar. As Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers accurately observed after last Sunday’s loss to the Giants, the 2023 Patriots arebutt”