There’s nothing to glean from the end of the New England Patriots’ 2023. If you’re a die hard fan, only disappointment awaits. If you’re a casual observer, any satisfaction gained from a stout defense serves to have its legs kicked out from underneath by a truly inept defense. If you’re watching for sheer trainwreck potential there isn’t even that; the Patriots are horribly bad, but rarely entertainingly so. Mac Jones isn’t getting stiff-armed into oblivion after a horrible lateral-filled game-losing play. He’s just sitting on the bench while Bailey Zappe does his impression of an NFL quarterback.
Thus we’re left with this. A December Thursday Night Football game with Bill Belichick’s team filling the void vacated by the Jacksonville Jaguars. When they make the trip to what was once Heinz Field in Week 14, the Patriots might as well be wearing urine-colored uniforms.
This has pushed Belichick to uncharted waters. The future Hall of Famer had never had back-to-back losing seasons with the Patriots. He’s already locked in to that one thanks to New England’s 2-10 record. He’s never lost more than 11 games in a season and hasn’t even done that since 2000. This is all not only very bad but also a consequence of his own inability to draft viable foundational talent or return Mac Jones to anything resembling his useful 2021 form.
That’s left him facing questions about his future, which is not something we’d ever expected to hear about a man with eight Super Bowl rings but, hooooo buddy, have you watched the Patriots this year? Don’t worry, you’ll get them on Thursday night vs. Mitch Trubisky and the Pittsburgh Steelers. We’ll all be aching for retirement or just generally a life away from football after that.
Of course, Belichick isn’t the only head coach on the hot seat. Josh McDaniels and Frank Reich have already been relieved of their duties. Here are the guys who could join them on Black Monday. This list excludes Belichick since he’ll likely be given the option to retire, but features five others ranked in ascending odds of impending unemployment.