Is Bill Belichick on the hot seat as the New England Patriots prepare for the 2023 NFL season?
He should be, according to Shannon Sharpe, who explained Tuesday on FS1's "Undisputed" that Belichick's six Super Bowl titles with New England shouldn't prevent Patriots owner Robert Kraft from holding his head coach accountable as the organization continues to navigate choppy waters since Tom Brady's departure.
"It should be, if you don't get this thing on the right track," Sharpe said of Belichick's seat heating up. "Sometimes, coaches forget that it's a business. They're quick to tell their players, 'This is a business.' But I think sometimes they forget this is a business, because coaches want things they never afford their players. Tom Brady didn't get a lifetime contract. He won six Super Bowls. Why the hell should Bill Belichick get a lifetime contract? Tom Brady went to the playoffs every year he was in Tampa -- won a Super Bowl, won two (division titles). OK, what has Coach Belichick done since Tom Brady got up out of town? Went to the playoffs once, and they lost 47-17 and Buffalo didn't punt one time.
"So, they're 25-26 when you include that playoff loss. And he thinks he should get a lifetime contract? If I'm Mr. Kraft -- he calls him 'Billy' -- (I'd say), 'Billy, you're on the hot seat. If you don't win this year, we don't win some playoff (games), you don't make some improvements... (laughs). Because guess what? I can pay a coach $5 million to do exactly what you're doing. Because me paying you $15, $20 million to miss the playoffs? ' "
The Patriots haven't won a playoff game since defeating the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII to cap the 2018 campaign. They missed the postseason entirely twice in that four-year stretch, including last season, when New England went 8-9 as the offense took a major step backward under second-year quarterback Mac Jones.
"You forget all that money they spent in free agency a couple of years ago," Sharpe said. "Mr. Kraft can say, 'Hey, where is my return?' See, when you're worth the kind of money Mr. Kraft is worth, when they invest in something, they want to see a return."
There's certainly a growing sense of turmoil in Foxboro, especially with Jones the subject of trade rumors in recent days amid reports of tension between him and Belichick. Will that force Kraft to start thinking more boldly?
It sure feels like the Patriots -- including Belichick -- are nearing a crossroads.
