Is Week 18 Bill Belichick’s final game as Patriots coach? (Podcast)

The Patriots wrap up their 2023 season next week against the New York Jets, and many are wondering whether that will be Bill Belichick’s final game as New England’s coach.

Questions regarding Belichick’s future have heightened over the last few weeks. And while there isn’t any clarity of which direction the Patriots will 100% commit to, there is still a chance Belichick steps onto the Gillette Stadium sideline next weekend for the final time as the Patriots coach.

On the latest episode of “Eye On Foxborough,” MassLive Patriots reporters Chris Mason and Mark Daniels discussed whether that will be the case once Week 18 comes to a close.

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“I think ultimately, it will be. But I do think the way they’re closing things out could absolutely give Robert Kraft cold feet,” Mason said. “My whole thing with him is seeing is believing. Robert has talked tough repeatedly, and nothing really changes. There have been multiple, ‘We need to win a playoff game’ offseasons in a row. Clearly, at 4-12, you are far from a playoff game. So, seeing is believing with him. And I do think that they’re playing really hard down the stretch. But ultimately, I think it comes back to: They’re playing really hard. You can’t ask anything more of the team that’s out there right now. But the reason they’re still losing games is because the roster wasn’t constructed well enough, and that’s just going to continue to happen.”

Daniels is of the belief that Belichick shouldn’t return next year because of how he plays the role of general manager.

“Bill Belichick is, I would say, the greatest coach of all time. He is still a great coach. And that’s evidenced by the fact his team has so many injuries and they’re playing well and they’re playing competitively,” he said. “They show fight and resolve with their backs against the wall. They bounce back because they’re a well-coached team, in my opinion. Bill Belichick, I don’t think should be retained because of the GM he is. … For me, it’s why I think his days are numbered. And I think at the end of the day, Robert Kraft will move on with a new head coach and I think they need someone here with a better eye for talent on the offensive end of the ball. But they are well-coached. And I thought we saw that (Sunday). But I don’t disagree saying it’s not completely set in stone because anything can happen.”

The Patriots are in position to get a high draft pick come April. But whether it will be Belichick making the selection or someone else remains to be seen. The team’s issues doesn’t stop at its coach. The quarterback situation is a mess, new reports of Trent Brown emerged and his future with the team beyond 2023 seems unlikely and the offense as a whole has struggled at times this year.

For now, the Patriots focus on wrapping up their season on a high note when they welcome the Jets to Gillette Stadium for the 2023 regular-season finale.