How Patriots Are Replacing This Injured Assistant Coach

FOXBORO, Mass. — Every NFL team deals with injuries in training camp. But most don’t involve members of the coaching staff.

The New England Patriots are an exception. Since camp began earlier this week, they’ve been operating without safeties coach Brian Belichick, who reportedly is recovering from a serious knee injury.

The youngest son of head coach Bill Belichick has been able to take part in meetings, but his injury has kept him away from the practice field, requiring the elder Belichick to shuffle his staff to account for his absence.

When players break into their groups for positional drills, cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino and co-linebackers coach/defensive play-caller Steve Belichick have been the ones primarily leading the safeties. The corners mostly have worked with V’Angelo Bentley, a former Patriots cornerback himself who’s entering his second season as a coaching fellow.

“With Brian not being here, Mike (Pellegrino)’s speaking the same language at us, so it meshes well.”

Patriots safety Jalen Mills

Asked about this arrangement before Sunday’s practice, Bill Belichick noted that Steve previously served as New England’s safeties coach before moving into his current role in 2020.

“Steve’s coached the safeties for a number of years,” Bill Belichick said. “V’Angelo, Mike — I think we’re all right. (Brian is) in the meetings, just not out on the field.”

Jalen Mills, who moved to safety from cornerback this offseason, said Pellegrino has taken the lead on coaching safeties in Brian Belichick’s absence, with Bentley picking up the slack with the corners.

“(It’s) a little bit (different),” Mills said. “Brian, we see him every day. Well, a little bit. He’s kind of coming in on his own. But I text him here and there, checking on his health. But Mike’s doing a really, really good job stepping in. V’Angelo, he’s doing a really, really good job stepping in with the corners. But hopefully Brian’s back soon.”

It’s never ideal to unexpectedly lose a position coach, but New England’s safeties group is well-positioned to withstand such a disruption. The Patriots are stocked with veterans at that position — Mills is joined by players like Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips and Jabrill Peppers — and traditionally have had their defensive backs meet as a unit anyway, meaning their safeties are used to hearing Pellegrino’s voice.

The 30-year-old Pellegrino is in his ninth season with the Patriots and his fifth coaching cornerbacks.

“It does (make it easier),” Mills said. “Granted, our room is split up, safeties and corners, but it’s open, so any conversation that we have on checks, things we want to change within the formation, we’re having that (as a) group collectively. With Brian not being here, Mike’s speaking the same language at us, so it meshes well.”

It’s unclear when Belichick will be healthy enjoy to rejoin the team on a full-time basis. ESPN’s Field Yates reported the injury will “keep him off the field for some time.”