The New England Patriots suffered arguably their most embarrassing loss of the Bill Belichick era on Saturday night, but it wasn’t quite bad enough to force the legendary coach into retirement.
Belichick, whose Patriots are fresh off a 47-17 loss in their AFC Wild Card game, held his end-of-the-year press conference with reporters on Sunday. He offered a very forward-looking perspective, which prompted a question about whether he plans to coach in 2022. Belichick essentially confirmed he is not going anywhere.
“I’d say that would be accurate,” says Bill Belichick, when asked if coaching is still something he wants to do in 2022.
Belichick is holding his season-ending video conference, and opened with a lengthy statement that included a forward-looking theme. pic.twitter.com/daLHMT80hs
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) January 16, 2022
Belichick, who will turn 70 in April, wasn’t thinking about retirement to begin with. The Patriots showed a lot of promise this year, and Mac Jones should continue to get better. There’s a lot for them to build on. Plus, Belichick could never walk away after such a bad loss.
The Bills totally dominated the Patriots and made some incredible history in the process. That will undoubtedly leave a foul taste in Belichick’s mouth. He’ll be just as focused this offseason as he has throughout his Hall of Fame career.
Photo: Oct 10, 2021; Houston, Texas, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reacts during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
