- Bill Belichick suffered a losing season for the first time in decades last year.
- Belichick’s New England Patriots were 7-9 in 2020, and struggled throughout the season without star QB Tom Brady.
- Belichick has +550 odds to not be a part of the Pats organization by the beginning of the 2022 season.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - Bill Belichick is the most successful coach in NFL history and only a few seasons removed from a Super Bowl win - but his former star and counterpart to the team's performance, QB Tom Brady, was not with the team last year.
Odds posted with online sportsbooks imply that he is very likely to stay with the New England Patriots, but there are a few major factors to consider.
Bill Belichick To Be The Patriots Coach In Week 1 Of 2022-2023 Season
- Yes -1000
- No +550
The Patriots had serious problems with COVID-19 and opt-outs that are no longer problems in 2020. Also, between the draft and free agency, the Patriots have brought in a lot of talent.
COVID-19 And The Patriots
In what could have been a contributing factor in their underwhelming season last year, the Pats lost defensive captain Dont’a Hightower to COVID-19 after he opted out of the season, as well as defensive stalwart Patrick Chung and offensive lineman Marcus Cannon.
Hightower’s loss was apparent in the Patriots’ LB corps, but he’s back for the 2021 season.
QB Cam Newton contracted COVID-19 during the season and put in some woeful performances upon getting back on the field.
Despite these troubles, the Patriots finished with a 7-9 record and some very close games that could have gone either way. They weren’t too far off from being a playoff team and it seems likely that a playoff berth would put any discussions of Belichick leaving to rest.
The Patriots' Acquisitions
Looking to bolster a roster that had been drained, TE’s Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry could add an element to the Pats offense that hasn’t been present since Rob Gronkowski’s prime as an elite pass-catching TE.
The Patriots also brought in Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne, presumably in a bid to no longer have to start N’Keal Harry - who is, intriguingly, having an amazing training camp.
Perhaps most important, in terms of Belichick’s longevity, the Patriots drafted Alabama QB Mac Jones with the 15th pick in the draft. Jones could be a legitimate NFL QB in Belichick’s system and the project of developing him into an NFL star is one that many would trust to Belichick over anyone else in the league.
There are plenty of reasons why Belichick could remain with the Patriots that online gambling fans need to consider but the development of Jones is perhaps the most important one as he could give the Patriots the season they didn't see last year.