NFL Columnist Thinks Bill Belichick Was Patriots’ Problem After All

Bill Belichick hasn’t coached the Patriots since 2023, but he’s still taking heat for his last few seasons in New England.

With new head coach Mike Vrabel leading the Patriots and second-year quarterback Drake Maye enjoying a successful season, CBS Sports NFL columnist Pete Prisco thinks Belichick was the issue in New England.

“They have a great coach now, and they have a good quarterback, and he’s on his way to being a genuinely great quarterback,” Prisco said on Sunday during “CBS Sports HQ”. “You’re going to win a lot of games that way. Perhaps Belichick was the problem in New England after all.”

After Tom Brady left the Patriots in March 2020, Belichick experienced only one winning season in the four years that followed, which came in 2021.

New England selected Alabama quarterback Mac Jones in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, hoping he would elevate the Patriots to new heights after his rookie season, during which New England finished with a 10-7 record. Jones was unable to return to his previous form in 2021, and much of that was likely due to Belichick’s inability to surround him with the right players.

During his 24 years in New England, Belichick accomplished many remarkable feats, including winning six Super Bowls. However, the Patriots are now in a stronger position without him.