Why Bruschi thinks firing Belichick in season would be ‘asinine’

Why Bruschi thinks firing Belichick in season would be ‘asinine’ originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The New England Patriots find themselves at 2-8, languishing at the bottom of the AFC after suffering a tough 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany last Sunday (following a brutal 10-6 loss).

This marks the first time since the year 2000 that the Patriots have only managed to secure two wins in 10 weeks, signifying an unprecedented situation for not just the team, but also its fans, players, and front office personnel.

The ongoing debate over whether head coach Bill Belichick should be fired has gained momentum with the continuous string of defeats. Enthusiasm for these discussions is expected to pick up during the bye week as the state of the franchise is carefully evaluated.

While the team is navigating through its toughest period in a long time, the notion of Patriots owner Robert Kraft relieving Belichick of his duties during the season is proving hard to fathom.

Tedy Bruschi, a Patriots legend and now an NFL analyst for ESPN, vehemently dismisses this idea.

“My former Patriot hat I’ll put on right here. When people talk about should Bill Belichick be fired mid-season — listen, we are not the Las Vegas Raiders, and that is not Josh McDaniels right there,” Bruschi said on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown show shortly after the New England’s Week 10 defeat.

Perhaps it makes the most sense to stick with Belichick through the end of the year for future trade opportunities in the offseason.

He’s under contract through the 2024 campaign, making it impossible for him to depart for another team unless through termination or a trade. If there’s interest in Belichick from other teams, why dismiss him and let him leave for nothing? It would be most pragmatic to trade him to reap some draft picks for the Patriots to expedite their rebuilding process.

The case can also be made that Belichick has earned the right to finish the season based on his accomplishments and contributions to the Patriots, which includes delivering six Super Bowl championships. Dismissing a legendary coach during the season seldom makes much sense.

“You would never treat a legend like that,” former NFL head coach Rex Ryan said after Bruschi. “That’s who this is — Bill Belichick is an absolute legend, and he deserves a hell of a lot more than that. He deserves all the respect. Kraft is a great owner because of Belichick and Tom Brady. The man should be able to walk out on his own accord and go where he wants.”