Bill Belichick "met" with reporters on Monday for a terse season-ending press conference (a whole 13 minutes with no follow-ups allowed) and while he didn't offer much in the way of introspection or accepting personal responsibility outside of lip service for the franchise's worst record since 1992 and a 29-39 record since Tom Brady, here are the pertinent parts:
- "It was obviously a very disappointing season all the way around. Players, coaches, staff, organization, everybody is not anywhere close to what our standard and expectations are. So, obviously, things need to be fixed. Proud of the way the players and the team competed, but not the results, obviously, from any of us – starting with me and all the way down to everybody else that was involved in it. I know we all feel the same way."
- "I'm under contract, do what I always do, which is every day I come in and work as hard as I can to help the team in whatever way I can. So, that's what I'm going to continue to do. ... So, as far as any decisions or direction or anything like that for next year, it's way too early for that. End of the year processes, I don't think will be fundamentally any different from the standpoint of how it's done. The decisions, that's a whole other conversation. But how it's done, I'll meet with Robert [Kraft] like I always do, meet with the staff, meet with the personnel department, kind of recap the season, look at the big picture and then look at some of the individual situations that are looming one way or another. But, that's obviously a long way off from where we are right now. So, we'll start at the end of the day, putting the pieces back together in terms of setting things up to go through a good, detailed analysis and to kind of start a reconstruction, if you will."
- "It might be a series of meetings (with Kraft). I don't know. We'll deal with that internally."
- Belichick was asked how the team went from a playoff team two years ago to 4-13 ... he avoided the question. "Well, that's what I just talked about. We'll take a look at everything, both the current situation, the current year, and if there's a trend or whatever we feel like we can do collectively as an organization. Again, it's the same thing we've always done, just organizationally figure out where we're going, what's our best path to get there and look at the previous results – which obviously this year weren't very good – and chart a course into the future."
- "I'm going to do everything I can every day to do the best I can to help our football team. That's what I've always done. It's never been any different for me in my career. I learned that lesson from my dad growing up. You work for the team that you're working for and do the best you can for it, until somebody tells you different. So, that's not going to change."
- On possibility relinquishing personnel control: "Yeah, look, I'm for whatever, collectively, we decide as an organization is the best thing to help our football team. And, I have multiple roles in that, and I rely on a lot of people to help me in those responsibilities. If somebody's got to have the final say, I have it, and I rely on a lot of other people to help. And, however that process is, I'm only part of it."
- Any indication of status? "I'm here to work as hard as I can to help our team every day. That's what I'm going to do."
- He sidestepped two questions about Mac Jones and Belichick said they need to go through their evaluations.
- "I think we have some things that we can build on. I think there are some things that we need to fix and change."
- Would he coach another team? "Yeah, I'm not going to get into a lot of hypothetical situations."
- Would it surprise you if Kraft moved on from you? "Yeah, I'm going to focus on what I can control and focus on, and that's my work ethic and my effort to do what I can to help the Patriots organization, which I'm heavily invested in."
- On if this team was built to contend: "Yeah, the moves that we made, given the options that we had, felt like we did what was best for the football team each time. Obviously, the results aren't good. Some of those things were, I think, positive. Some of them didn't work out as well as we hoped they would, and there were other circumstances in some of the other decisions as well. So, we'll go back and look at all of them and, again, look forward to working towards solutions and things that will improve our team."
BEDARD'S ANALYSIS
The news out of the press conference was a) Belichick acknowledging he has a contract and is under it going forward (he NEVER says anything about his contract), b) he's going to keep working until someone tells him otherwise, c) and that he's at least open to working with a general manager, and d) things need to be fixed.
Now, you could certainly take that as Belichick wanting to stay, being open to big changes and making his opening pitch to ownership.
But there's another real possibility: Belichick has read the tea leaves, thinks he might be out and he was basically telling the Krafts that they'll have to fire him and pay him — while telling other teams what his situation is and what he'd be open to should they entertain his services.
And I'm in the same spot: I don't know. Both could be true to some extent. But Belichick is certainly putting this on the Krafts' plate publicly.
Other thoughts on Belichick's session:
- 13 minutes, held virtually with no follow-ups allowed is a complete joke of a season-ending press conference. Most in the NFL are 45 minutes to an hour and there are no restrictions. It may be minor to a lot of you, but if the Krafts were leaning towards "taking their team back" this would embolden them. I think Jerod Mayo's two answers on my report last week were about as long as this entire press conference and a hell of a lot more introspective.
- Belichick completely sidestepped most responsibility again. "I rely on a lot of other people to help. And, however that process is, I'm only part of it." ... I mean, who are we kidding? So now, after 4-13, Belichick is only part of the chorus?
- No comment on the former first-round QB says a lot. And it's another area that has gone poorly so instead of admitting his part in it, he avoided it altogether.
- "Given the options we had" ... what does that even me – oh, I forgot, no follow-ups allowed. Was that a shot at the budget from ownership? Their cap situation (which on most teams can be improved)?
Actually, the more I think about it ... Belichick taking minimal responsibility, not diving into any situation very much, statement of his contract ... I think this was posturing for the Krafts and other teams.
Belichick might want to stay here because it's what he's known for 24 years and change isn't easy, but he's only going to do it on his terms — he's not rolling over. If the Krafts don't like that, they are going to have to fire him and pay the balance of his contract.