Kyle Van Noy’s unflattering comments about Bill Belichick might explain a lot

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For all the grief Chargers coach Brandon Staley gets for his heavily analytics-based decisions, he at least will be somewhere Bill Belichick won’t be this year: the playoffs.

But according to Kyle Van Noy, a current Charger and former Super Bowl Champion with the Patriots, that’s not the only thing Staley has going for him compared to New England’s all-time great.

In a recent interview with The Pat McAfee Show, Van Noy dropped some strong praise for Staley’s interpersonal skills and subtly shaded Belichick for sometimes lacking in that department.

“I would say the biggest difference between Bill and Staley is relationships. (Staley) has relationships with every single player on the team. It’s really impressive how he can work a room. He’s got everybody’s number in (his) favorites. He can call them right then and there. And any player, he reaches out. I respect that. In this new age of players, you’ve gotta do that. And he’s done a great job of that.

“And I’m not saying Bill — I have a great relationship with Bill. But not everybody does. And so, I would say that’s the biggest difference, is the relationship base Staley forms versus Bill.”

You could look at those comments as sour grapes from Van Noy after not being re-signed by the Patriots this past off-season if you want. He certainly had a prickly view of the Miami Dolphins for similarly letting him walk in 2021.

But the dysfunction of this year's Patriots certainly doesn't help this perception of Belichick not being in tune with his players. Whatever the reason, going with Matt Patricia as the offensive play-caller and asking him and Joe Judge to help design a new offense was hardly a path to keeping his players happy on that side of the ball.

On top of that, Belichick's own coaching tree, specifically Patricia, Joe Judge and Josh McDaniels, have all had noted issues with interpersonal relationships on the job. Wonder where they learned it from?

Also, the fact that he apparently couldn't put his ego aside to keep Tom Brady in town and try to build another Super Bowl winner with Brady before the end of his career -- only to see the quarterback immediately win a title with Tampa Bay upon leaving -- will linger as perhaps one of Belichick's bigger miscalculations on the job.

Van Noy might not have meant it as much of a slight toward Belichick all things considered, but viewing the longtime coach in that light certainly makes plenty of sense in the worst way.