'Nothing's changed'
Bill Belichick again sidestepped questions about his future as Patriots head coach following New England’s 11th loss of the season.
The Patriots lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 27-17 at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, less than 24 hours after a report from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport suggested Belichick could save his job with a strong finish.
“Nothing’s changed,” Belichick said Monday on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show.” “We’ve got Denver this week, and we’ll do all we can to get the team ready to play well against Denver.”
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The NFL Media report contradicted one from NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran, who said his sources made it “very clear” that team owner Robert Kraft “decided” after the Patriots’ November loss in Germany to move on from Belichick at the end of the season.
Rapoport on Saturday reported Kraft had not decided and was expected to go through “a period of evaluation when the regular season ends” before settling on whether to retain the legendary coach.
“I don’t sit around and listen to talk radio and read stuff every day,” Belichick said on WEEI when asked about these rumors. “I’m going to do what I do, and that’s prepare the team to get ready for Denver.”
Does he still feel like he has Kraft’s support?
“I think any questions you have for Mr. Kraft, you should ask Mr. Kraft,” Belichick replied.
Asked whether he’s felt the need to address the topic with players, who were peppered with questions about his potential ouster last week, Belichick replied: “Yeah, we have open conversations about everything. Yeah.”
As for whether he wants to be with the Patriots in 2024, Belichick again kept the focus on this Sunday’s Christmas Eve matchup with the Broncos in Denver.
”I’m not getting into the past, the future or anything else,” he said. “I’m getting ready for Denver this week.
After the Denver game, the Patriots will close out the 2023 season with a road game at Buffalo on New Year’s Eve and a Week 18 matchup with the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium.
At 3-11, New England already has matched its highest loss total of the Belichick era. It would pick second overall in the 2024 NFL Draft if the season ended Monday.