Former Patriots coach Bill Belichick, now an NFL analyst, blasted his former rival (sort of) the New York Jets over their handling of the Robert Saleh situation.
We say “sort of” rival because Belichick’s record against the Jets is 39-12, with the 39 being an NFL record against a single team.
But Bill isn’t done just yet brutalizing the Jets, taking to the “Coach Podcast” to batter them from the other side of the field.
He described the firing of Saleh just five weeks into the 2024 season as “confusing” and said “the overall culture” for the Jets organization is one of “dysfunctionality.”
Recent developments seem to confirm that assessment.
“It is a little bit puzzling. It is what it is, and everybody has to move forward. It’s the owner’s prerogative to make that decision, and clearly that’s what he decided to do,” Belichick said.
“But there have been a lot of things that have been kind of confusing. It hasn’t been a great situation for the Jets this year. You can kind of feel there’s been kind of a chill.”
Saleh was dismissed after a slow start to the season, in which the Jets have gone 2-3. It is exceedingly rare for a coach to be fired so early in the season and, despite the tumultuous start, just one game removed from first place in the division.
Bill Belichick Rips The J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!
Bill Belichick dismantled the Jets organization from top to bottom.
“Just the overall culture, watching Hard Knocks from a year ago, there were a lot of things that just didn’t look quite right there,” he said according to Jets X-Factor.
“The… organization, the appearance of dysfunctionality has been tough,” the ‘Hoodie’ added. “It’s a total organizational effort, which it’s probably been for the last decade.”
Woof. Tell us how you really feel, Bill.
Belichick’s stance that the decision is the “owner’s prerogative” is in line with recent claims by New York Jets team owner Woody Johnson.
Despite speculation that Aaron Rodgers was somehow involved in Saleh’s dismissal, Johnson has insisted the firing “was his decision alone.”
RELATED: Aaron Rodgers Vehemently Denies Having A Hand In Robert Saleh’s Firing: ‘Ridiculous’
Guess He’s Not A Candidate To Replace Saleh
If anything, Bill Belichick’s comments about the Jets organization surely put to rest any rumors that he might be a candidate to replace Saleh as head coach.
Of course, Rob Gronkowski, former Patriots tight end under the six-time Super Bowl champion coach, has suggested there is absolutely no chance he’ll be on the sidelines in New York. Ever.
“There’s no way,” Gronkowski said recently. “[The hatred] is that real. It’s just engraved that deep, you know, it just is.”
“It just happens when you got a rival in your own division. It just builds up and builds up. And I just can’t see him going to the Jets.”
Belichick certainly has some history with the Jets. He served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator for the team under Bill Parcells in the late ’90s.
He then famously served as head coach for the Jets for one day following the 1999 season. At a press conference announcing his promotion after Parcells left, Belichick scribbled his resignation notice on a napkin and then walked off into the sunset.
He was introduced as Patriots head coach shortly thereafter and the rest, they say, is history.
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