Bill O’Brien comes to the defense of Bill Belichick amid murky future with Patriots
"This is Bill Belichick we’re talking about."
With the 2023 Patriots floundering at the bottom of the AFC standings, most of the storylines hovering over Foxborough this winter are centered more on the future of the franchise — rather than the current roster that is mired with a 2-9 record.
And when it comes to charting the next chapter for New England, the future of Bill Belichick stands as the most consequential decision that Robert Kraft will need to make in the months ahead.
Little has gone right for Belichick in his 24th season with the Patriots, with poor roster construction, years of dreadful drafting, and a broken offensive unit steered by Mac Jones putting New England on the road to disaster.
But as the discourse surrounding Belichick’s job security continues to grow louder with each demoralizing loss doled out to the Patriots, the legendary head coach’s offensive coordinator is standing by his side.
When asked Tuesday whether or not it’s been “awkward” to see Belichick’s job security becoming a regular talking point this year, Bill O’Brien offered up a defense for his coach amid yet another lost season.
“You really don’t see all of that,” O’Brien said of discussions related to Belichick during Tuesday’s video conference. “Now, look, I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that when you’re home on a Saturday with your family, or whatever, that you don’t hear it or see it. Like, I understand that. But, like, this is Bill Belichick we’re talking about. Bill Belichick has done so much for the game of football, the New England Patriots organization.
“It’s football, we’ve lost some tight games. You know, to think about what he’s done here in this organization, what he’s done for this community, what he’s done for this game — for the game, the game of football. He’s been 50 years in the game of football. Just to me, like, I think everybody just needs to understand, look, we’ve all got to win. We understand we’re in a winning business. We’re not winning right now. But I think you’ve also got to step back and just (say), ‘Hey, look at what this guy’s done for the game of football.’ I think that’s very important to think about.”
O’Brien is not the only current staffer or player who has backed up Belichick amid the team’s dreadful start to the season.
Following New England’s 10-7 loss to the Giants on Sunday, veteran center David Andrews once again offered up support for Belichick, who has steered New England to just one playoff appearance in the last four years.
“That’s my head coach, I believe in him, he brought me in this league,” Andrews said of Belichick on Sunday. “I’ll go down fighting with him.”
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