Bill Belichick is as tight-lipped as they come, but the New England Patriots head coach surprisingly offered some candor earlier this week.
Belichick openly acknowledged the Patriots were challenged over the offseason when it came to roster construction. In addition to players lost via free agency or opt out, New England was strapped for cash. Belichick, seemingly as a retort to those who claimed the Patriots were looking for an excuse for their ongoing struggles, said the franchise “sold out” to win its most recent Super Bowls.
Tedy Bruschi seems to believe New England’s current situation largely has been accepted throughout the organization. The former linebacker thinks that’s the only reason for Belichick’s straightforwardness.
“The only logic with him expressing that publicly is that’s the overwhelming consensus of the organization — even trickling down to players,” Bruschi said Wednesday on “Ordway, Merloni and Fauria,” as transcribed by WEEI. “This one, this year has hit this team pretty hard from the beginning when (Dont’a Hightower), (Patrick) Chung and (Marucs) Cannon and all those guys were like, ‘Guys, we have to pass. I have family things I have to worry about.’ It set the tone back then, and then how it hit them the last couple weeks like we’ve been talking about, so is it understood there? Because if that is understood amongst the organization then they wouldn’t be surprised with those types of comments coming from the head coach.
“That is the only way I can logically explain this type of messaging that is coming out of the head coach because he’s always been like a rock. You guys know, like a rock in terms of the message he sends to the media. It is consistent with the message he sends to his players.”
Bruschi isn’t the only ex-Patriot who believes Belichick is operating with an “it is what it is” mindset. Matt Light is under the impression Belichick already has shifted his focus to the future in Foxboro.
