'You know he's prepared for this'
Bill Belichick’s future with the Patriots continues to be at the center of the football universe, particularly in New England.
With the Patriots falling to 3-11 in a disastrous season, chatter continues as to whether Belichick will return to New England next season, retire or coach elsewhere.
To this point, despite conflicting reports, guesses are just that. Not even his former Patriots players, such as three-time Super Bowl champion Julian Edelman, are sold on what lies ahead for Belichick.
“Right now, with the mayhem, what’s going on, with all this talk?” Edelman shared at Encore Boston on Monday to WBZ, as transcribed by WEEI’s Mike Kadlick. “I don’t know. Would it surprise me if he’s there? No. Would it surprise me if he’s gone? No.”
While it can be a crazy concept for several figures around football, Edelman remembers that Belichick envisioned these situations, even at the height of the Patriots’ championship run.
“I specifically remember one time when Bill was talking to the team he goes, ‘You know, there’s gonna be a time where the media changes on me, and all of a sudden, they’re gonna wanna cut my head off,'” Edelman recalled.
As Belichick has shown in recent weeks while questions file in, focusing on football in the present with the Patriots remains a priority.
“You know he’s prepared for this and he knows what’s going on,” Edelman said. “But I believe he’s compartmentalizing, and trying to go out and just get wins.”
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As for the current team, the Patriots prepare to take on the Broncos in Denver on Christmas Eve.