Matt Patricia became persona non grata among Patriots fans as New England struggled throughout its 2022 season, but he wasn’t the only coach who fell out of favor in Foxboro.
Joe Judge’s return to the Patriots was equally disastrous. According to the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan, Judge was “phased out” during New England’s underwhelming campaign, a stark fall from grace after he entered training camp and the preseason with significant duties. It reportedly was commonplace for Judge to draw the ire of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick as well as starting quarterback Mac Jones.
“As Patricia came under outside fire as the face of the offense, Judge drew increasing criticism from within,” Callahan wrote. “Belichick would blast him in practice, and it wasn’t uncommon for Judge and Jones to trade profanity-laced outbursts. Jones’ trust in his position coach was effectively non-existent.”
A source added Jones “didn’t like” the former New York Giants head coach “at all.”
“(Judge) would speak extra loudly in meetings, trying to project like he was the guy,” another source told Callahan. “And I think that kind of rubbed people the wrong way.”
Fortunately for Jones, it doesn’t sound like he’ll have to work with Judge or Patricia in his all-important third NFL season. Bill O’Brien reportedly was hired this week to be the Patriots’ new offensive coordinator and New England’s setup for this year’s Shrine Bowl suggests Patricia and Judge might not be on the team’s coaching staff at all in 2023.
