NFL Executive Makes Valid Point About Bill Belichick’s Patriots Tenure

The NFL coaching landscape underwent a massive transformation last week when Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll left the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, respectively.

Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers now stands as the NFL’s longest-tenured head coach, and there are questions about his future, as well, after 17 seasons with the franchise.

All of this speaks to the unpredictable and often limited shelf life for head coaches in today’s NFL. And it gives one an even greater appreciation for the success Belichick achieved over 24(!) seasons at the helm in New England.

“Yeah, I’ve heard rumblings (about Tomlin and the Steelers),” an NFL executive recently told The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “I don’t know what it is. It’s hard to be at the same place for 10 years. Belichick, if you break up his time with the Patriots, it is multiple 10-year runs. He basically reinvented everything after 10 years, became an offense-oriented team. I have no idea about Carroll or Tomlin, but sometimes things become stale and an organization needs a new voice.”

The exec raises a valid point regarding Belichick, who won six Super Bowl titles as Patriots head coach. The first three championships mostly centered around a stout defense, before Tom Brady really blossomed into an elite quarterback and ultimately the greatest to ever play the position.

All good things must come to an end, though. Even Belichick’s dominance. So, with the Patriots struggling to find their identity in wake of Brady’s 2020 departure, the coach and the organization parted ways last week.

The Patriots will have a fresh voice (Jerod Mayo) in 2024. And they’re clearly not alone in embracing such change.