If anyone is to make a spiritual successor to "Tom vs Time," it should be about Bill Belichick.
Despite turning 70 years old Saturday, the New England Patriots head coach apparently is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, he might be speeding up.
In his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated offered insight into Belichick's current mindset at One Patriot Place.
"Belichick still loves doing it," Breer wrote. "That much is obvious. I had someone there tell me that this offseason he's actually working more than he has in the recent past, which only speaks to the fact that, to borrow paraphrase an old Levy-ism, there really isn't any place he’d rather be."
So, what's motivating Belichick? It's all about legacy and making sure the Patriots are in a position to succeed whenever he leaves.
Check out these excerpts from Breer's column:
Belichick currently has, including playoffs, 321 wins. That puts him third all-time, behind only Don Shula (347) and George Halas (324). He’ll pass Halas at some point, probably relatively early, this year. He's 26 behind Shula. It's fair to think that he should pass him in 2024. And while Belichick would never admit to that being a motivator, I will say there are few people on the planet with a greater appreciation for, or knowledge of, football history.
...
I've heard for more than a decade that those around him believe he wants to show he can win with the Patriots without Brady. He got the franchise Mac Jones and a playoff berth last year. The next step is showing that legit championship contention is on the horizon. If Belichick can get there, too, he'll be in better position to hand something good off to whoever the next guy in Foxboro is -- which I believe is another thing he wants to do.
Belichick's workload only will increase in the days, weeks and months ahead.
The Patriots officially began their offseason program Monday, welcoming players for strength/conditioning workouts. And, in under two weeks, Belichick and the Patriots will look to duplicate the success they enjoyed in last year's NFL draft.
