By Canadian Press

Bill Belichick under contract, would take lesser role in personnel matters as Kraft meeting looms

Jan 8, 2024 | 7:09 AM

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Bill Belichick is open to letting someone else handle personnel duties if he remains with the New England Patriots.

The Patriots coach also confirmed Monday during his season-ending new conference that he remains under contract, though he didn’t specify the length of its current terms.

New England’s 17-3 loss to the New York Jets on Sunday cemented a 4-13 record for the Patriots, Belichick’s worst record in his 29-year NFL head coaching career. It’s left his status for next season up in the air as he prepares to meet with team owner Robert Kraft about his future. That meeting was expected to take place this week, possibly as early as today.

“I’m for whatever collectively we decide as an organization is the best thing to help our football team,” Belichick said during Monday’s video conference. “I’m under contract. I’m going to do what I always do, which is every day I come in, work as hard as I can to help the team in whatever way I can. So that’s what I’m going to continue to do.”

The details of Belichick’s contract have never been released publicly.

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As to possibly giving up his role as the team’s de facto general manager with final call on personnel matters, the 71-year-old Belichick said he is flexible if it benefits the organization.

“I have multiple roles in that. I rely on a lot of people to help me in those responsibilities,” Belichick said. “If somebody’s got to have the final say, I rely on a lot of other people to help. And, however that process is, I’m only part of it.”

But the ultimate decision on whether Belichick will have a chance to be part of what is certain to be the start of a massive rebuild this offseason falls on Kraft and his son, team president Jonathan Kraft.

The Patriots benched 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones for the final six games this season, a signal that they could move on from him this offseason. That could mean picking a quarterback in the draft this spring with the No. 3 overall pick.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press