6 rings: The final autopsy of the 2023-24 Patriots & The latest on Bill Belichick
Not that there was much of a question, but we now know that a decision on Bill Belichick's future with the Patriots will not be swayed by the sudden availability of former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
"My strong sense from talking to people around the Patriots organization," ESPN's Mike Reiss told Get Up! this morning. "Is that any decision on Belichick is completely independent of Vrabel's sudden availability."
He continued, "So it isn't like they say, 'Oh my goodness Mike Vrabel's there, we've gotta move on a Belichick decision.' Step back, big picture. Team owner Robert Kraft is 82 years old, it's hard to imagine that he hasn't thought of potential succession plans for Bill Belichick. So I'd say this. Vrabel's a wild card in the whole discussion. But it would be aggressive to me to say he suddenly he shoots to the top of any succession plan list."
Vrabel was relieved of his duties as Tennessee's head coach on Tuesday morning, and his quote-unquote "free agency" was immediately linked to New England with Bleacher Report's Jordan Schultz reporting, "mutual interest" between the team and their former linebacker.
ESPN's Dan Graziano weighed into the Belichick discussion with Reiss on Get Up! on Tuesday as well:
"I think there's a widespread expectation that when he dust settles here, Belichick is no longer the coach [of the Patriots]," the insider explained. "Now I don't think anybody's willing to go 100% yet because, it's Belichick, it's a unique situation. No one's ever been a six-time Super Bowl champion, so that gives people hesitation. But I do think the expectation is that at some point this job does come open."
"Vrabel is an easy connection to make," Graziano continued. "Because of his success as a coach, because he's beloved there. He was just inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame a couple of months ago up in Foxborough. But yes, I think it is important to stress what Mike [Reiss] just said. They're making a Bill Belichick decision in Foxborough: Is he going to continue being the coach, or not? Once they do that, it's about well, who replaces him?"
NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran also noted on Wednesday morning that, "the Patriots have been methodical in their approach to the succession plan and parting ways with Belichick. Vrabel’s availability isn’t expected to alter the plan."
As the wait on a decision continues, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler is reporting that Belichick "wasn't in the building much Tuesday," and sent his staff home. "They'll reconvene at a later date, sort of a business-as-usual stance."
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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