Ex-NFL Executive Has Strong Opinion On Bill Belichick’s Role With Patriots
'Bill's not a dictator. He's not Fidel Castro'
Under the tutelage of Bill Belichick the New England Patriots have won six Super Bowl championships, but with the failures of the team this season, the coach is under a microscope and rumored to be on a short leash.
But not everyone believes the Patriots brass should part ways with the future Hall of Famer.
“Look, everyone thinks he’s lost his fastball,” former NFL general manager Mike Lombardi said on the “Pat McAfee Show” on Tuesday. “I disagree. He works harder than any coach I’ve ever known. He’s still on top of everything.”
Lombardi went on to explain that Belichick not only understands the salary cap but the Patriots will have over $100 million in cap space next year.
“He can manage the cap. He understands the value,” Lombardi said. “Everybody can take a shot because he’s down right now. I think he’s one of the greatest coaches of all time and whoever, if he goes somewhere else, or if he stays, they’re going to be very happy.”
But would Belichick accept a role where he wasn’t both the coach and general manager of the Patriots or any other team?
“Bill is all about winning,” Lombardi said. “I think if it were the right situation, I’m sure Bill would probably do whatever.”
Lombardi added: “One thing I think people misconstrue about Bill; Bill’s not a dictator. He’s not Fidel Castro. He’s not running a country down there. Bill takes input. Bill listens and Bill takes advice. … So this idea that he has to have all the authority, no. What Bill wants more than anything is the ability to control the culture. That’s more important to Bill than having all the authority.”
According to a report last week, the Patriots could move on from Belichick if the team loses to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany on Sunday.
“He’s having a bad season,” Lombardi said. “They’re not a good team for a lot of reasons. It’s just not one person, right? It’s not just one thing.”
Lombardi said he can’t speak for the Kraft family but believes Belichick is still on top of his game and having a bad season is just part of life in the NFL.
