FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — First, Bill Belichick sighed.
More than an hour had elapsed since his 24th season finale as head coach of the New England Patriots. This one, a snow-blanketed 17-3 loss to the New York Jets, capped Belichick’s worst statistical season at the helm.
In the hour after the clock expired, the publicly stoic 71-year-old had greeted Jets head coach Robert Saleh briefly and then sought out quarterback Aaron Rodgers on the field. He had joined his players in the locker room for a huddle ultimately broken down by longtime special teams ace Matthew Slater. Belichick had showered and changed from his face mask and the parka whose hood had filled with snow. Now, with a starched and striped button-down shirt, Belichick sighed and confronted the elephant in the room.
He knew what was on everyone’s mind. He didn’t want to elaborate, but he also didn’t need to play dumb.
So Belichick confirmed what’s next as his future hangs more in question than it has all millennium. He will sit down with team owner Robert Kraft now that the season’s over.
“It’s a disappointing year for all of us — players, coaches, staff,” Belichick said. “Entire organization. Not anything that any of us are in any way content with. But it is what it is. So I’ll address some questions on the game. As far as the future goes, I’ll sit down with Robert [Kraft] as I do every year at some point at the end of the season, and we’ll talk about things as we always do. I’m sure that will happen.
“But that’s really about all I have to say about that right now, because there isn’t anything else to talk about.
“So any questions on the Jets game, happy to take a few of those.”
Opening remarks concluded, Belichick kept his word: He had little more to offer about his future.
Did he feel different coming off the field today than usual?
“Disappointed about the way the game turned out, sure,” Belichick said. After a pause, he added: “Yeah, let’s leave it at that.”
Belichick glanced down.
Does he expect to be coaching the Patriots next season?
“It’s disappointing the way the game finished, yeah,” Belichick responded, making clear he would not give the desired answer.
Belichick will meet with his team at 9 a.m. Monday and with Kraft, it’s expected, in the days to come.
His insistence that he’s focused on preparing his team for the next game no longer holds, as the question becomes: When and where is his next game? Is there one, for sure?
Belichick declined to confirm whether he’d prefer to coach in New England next season.
“I just finished the game here with the Jets,” he said when asked. “It was a very — I put everything I had into it this week and tried to prepare our team the best I could to play in it.”
The six-time Super Bowl champion with the Patriots has won 302 regular-season games since his head-coaching tenure began in 1991, third most in NFL history.
Don Shula’s 328-win record has stood since 1995, while George Halas ranks second with 318.
Belichick is largely expected to chase Shula’s mark, with or without the Patriots behind him.
That could influence his next move.
“I enjoy coaching,” Belichick said. “Like I said, it’s a disappointing season. I covered that in the opening statement. I don’t have anything to add. That’s how I feel. But no, I still — I like coaching the team. I like preparing the team, game planning, coaching on Sundays.”
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