Why Julian Edelman believes it’s likely ‘a reality’ that Bill Belichick won’t be coaching the Patriots in 2024
"Bill would say that: ‘Everyone gets fired in this business.’"
Something Bill Belichick once said is making Julian Edelman believe that the 2023 season will likely be his former coach’s last year with the Patriots.
The former Patriots receiver thinks that the noise surrounding Belichick’s status on the hot seat is tough to ignore at this point. As a possible divorce might be inevitable, Edelman just hopes that things end amicably between Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
“I think it’s a reality that’s going to come,” Edelman said when asked on the “Pardon My Take” podcast if he thinks Belichick could be coaching elsewhere. “I won’t believe it until it’s done, but when the media starts getting on this and starts talking about it, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. I just hope it’s handled correctly, like professionals, because Bill is a huge part of the success that we had. He laid the template. Mr. Kraft was a huge part of the success that we had. Tom Brady was. It’s a team sport, and I think he’s the best coach that I ever had.
“Could I see him coach for another team? It’s going to be weird, but yeah,” Edelman added. “This is the National Football League. Everyone gets fired. He used to say that all the time. Bill would say that: ‘Everyone gets fired in this business.’”
Previously:
As Edelman mentioned, there have been reports that have indicated Belichick’s time in New England could come to an end at the end of the season. In fact, NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran reported the team already made the decision that Belichick won’t be with the Patriots next season following their Week 10 loss to the Colts. However, a conflicting report from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport said the Patriots haven’t made a decision on Belichick’s fate yet.
If the Patriots decide to ditch Belichick, Edelman seems to have an idea for a succession plan for each side. Last week, he said Belichick would be one of the two ideal head coach candidates for the Chargers after they fired Brandon Staley, telling “The Herd” that he thinks his former coach would be a good fit with Justin Herbert.
Edelman said he would take a different approach to picking the next head coach in New England. While former Patriots players Jerod Mayo and Mike Vrabel have been two of the top names linked to possibly replace Belichick, Edelman said he wouldn’t pick a defensive-minded coach despite being “a fan of both.”
“Vrabel’s been an unbelievable head coach,” Edelman said. “It seems like his [Titans] team always squeaks away with wins they’re not supposed to have. They’ve been No. 1 seeds. They’ve built something there that’s been pretty competitive for the last [six seasons]. Jerod, he’s one of the smartest players I played with.
“If I were to go that route of hiring a coach, with the pick that they’re probably going to have, I would want to probably have an offensive-minded guy,” Edelman said. “That’s kind of what the league’s going to.”
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