How Belichick addressed his future after loss to Jets
FOXBORO — Patriots head coach Bill Belichick offered up the fact that he plans to meet with owner Robert Kraft now that the 2023 season is over.
Following the Patriots’ 17-3 loss to the Jets in their season finale, Belichick, whose future is uncertain after his team finished with a 4-13 record, said he would only answer questions about 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,” Belichick, still sounding hoarse and under the weather from Friday, said. “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.”
ESPN reported earlier this week that Belichick and Kraft would meet on Monday. There have been multiple reports that Belichick’s current contract runs through the 2024 season.
Belichick was asked about his future after the game but deflected most questions unrelated to the loss.
“It’s disappointing the way the game finished, yeah,” Belichick said when asked if he expects to coach the Patriots next season.
Later, he was asked if he prefers to return to the Patriots in 2024.
“Yeah, so I just finished the game here with the Jets. Put everything I had into it. Disappointed in the results.”
“I just finished the game with the Jets,” he added to a follow-up question. “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 Patriots went on a 2-1 run after Bailey Zappe took over for Mac Jones at quarterback, but they finished with consecutive losses to the Bills and Jets. This was the Patriots’ first loss to the Jets since 2015.
Belichick was asked if the Patriots’ season took “any of the wind out of your sails as far as the effort it takes to coach.”
“No, I mean, 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. But the results weren’t good and none of us are happy with those.”