Tedy Bruschi has urged Bill Belichick to retire from the NFL after the New England Patriots lost 21-17 to the Las Vegas Raiders, leaving the team with a 1-5 record in 2023.
The Patriots allowed scores in every quarter, averaging only 12 points a game in 2023/24, and were shut out by the New Orleans Saints on October 8th.
Belichick, who is now 71 and one of the most successful coaches of all time, has faced calls that he hand up the keys of the storied organization to someone with new ideas and sail off into the sunset while his legacy remains undeniable. The voices include Bill Bruschi, who played linebacker for Belichick from 2000 to 2008.
“What do I personally feel (about) how this should go, and how this should end with Bill Belichick?” Bruschi explained to ESPN. “This is just my personal opinion about what should happen.” I want him to coach his butt off this season and win six or seven games, right?”
“Having them perform respectably by the end of the season and then walk away. That is what I want my previous coach to accomplish. Shula is irrelevant. You’ve won several Super Bowls over Shula. “You are a better coach.”
Belichick needs 17 wins to overtake Don Shula’s record of 347 career victories, set with the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins. However, if the Pats continue at their present pace in 2023, he will need to play until he is 87 years old to break the record.
With nothing left to prove, some believe it is time for him to stand down, and Bruschi is the latest to join the chorus, even claiming that Belichick is no longer able to communicate with his players.
“To start the game with two penalties (on offense),” Bruschi explained. “Finish the game with three penalties. This is a sign that Bill isn’t reaching these people.”
The game will be played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, with the Patriots trying to improve their record to 2-5, while Josh Allen’s Bills hope to improve to 5-2.
The Bills are now second in the AFC East, trailing the Dolphins, while the Patriots are at the bottom of the division.
