The Patriots are Reportedly Trying to Keep Both Belichick Sons on Their Coaching Staff

Brian Kersey. Shutterstock Images.

It's been five days now since Bill Belichick was fired one half of a beautiful and respectful parting of the ways between himself and Mr. Kraft.  A mutual agreement in which both of these accomplished collaborators took the high road together, gave one another the "It's not you; it's me," talk, and decided it was best for their relationship if they moved on. Which means it's been four days since Jerod Mayo was named Belichick's successor. 

And that paragraph sums up everything anybody knows at this point. 

Believe me, it's not enough from where I'm sitting. I'm not need to have all this worked out in less than a week. What I am saying is, I want this all worked out. Preferably five minutes ago. But if not, then right this second will do nicely, thanks. I get that an ownership making its first major hiring since before the invention of the cell phone camera, plus a rookie head coach, need to get their decisions right more than they need to make them fast. I also get that I want some instant gratification. And I want it, by definition, now. 

Since the change was made, I've had a lot of people reach out asking what I've heard about the coaching staff and front office. Not family or friends, mind you. They all learned to tune me out a long time ago. And know that asking me anything on the topic is like asking a gamer about some online realm he's really into. Before you've pulled that thread, you're going to need an exit strategy in place to end the conversation. Because he won't. In my case, I've had internet acquaintances hit me up for some insight, and I've got nothing. All I can manage is a word stew that doesn't say anything except how befuddling all this has been so far. For instance, the fact the Pats don't plan on naming a GM:

The only thing that's seemed even remotely guaranteed was that defacto defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and safeties coach Brian Belichick would be following their father out the door. But even that's not a certainty:

Mike Reiss, ESPN - [T]he sons of former head coach Bill Belichick, have been given the opportunity to remain with the team, sources confirmed to ESPN. …

Steve Belichick spent the past 12 seasons on the Patriots' staff, elevating from an entry-level coaching assistant to linebackers coach and defensive playcaller. Brian Belichick began his career with the franchise in 2016 as a scouting assistant before working his way up from entry-level coaching assistant (2017-19) to safeties coach (2020-23). 

New Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo has developed a close relationship with Steve Belichick, as players often noted how much time they spend together. The two first formed a bond when Mayo was playing for the team and sidelined on injured reserve.

"I spent a lot of time with Steve in the dungeon, and we would go in there and break down film and talk ball," Mayo said in mid-December. "Hearing it from him, from a coach's perspective -- one of the greatest head coaches' sons; and then I brought the on-the-field perspective.

"Even back then, 2013, 2014, we just had a connection. We kind of spoke the same language. … I love coaching with Steve."

And a strange situation just gets stranger. 

To be perfectly clear, the Belichick boys can coach. Say what you will about nepo babies, but following your father into the family business is not necessarily a bad thing. It's how you got the job, but it doesn't mean you can't do the job. For every mediocrity whose mom has to photoshop them into a crew boat and spend 500 grand to get them into USC, there is a success story. Ken Griffey, Jr. Peyton and Eli Manning. Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez. George Clooney. Angelina Jolie. Ben Stiller. Michael Douglas. Jamie Lee Curtis. Kurt Russell claimed his father Bing was shot and killed over 200 times in TV Westerns. And his boy grew up to be Kurt fucking Russell. So don't lecture me about how Steve and Brian got their foot in the door. 

More to the point, the Patriots defense is the one aspect of this organization that doesn't require a major overhaul. Working with Mayo, Steve managed to guide his defensive unit into the Top 10 in points allowed, despite having to compensate for an offense that scored the fewest points and had the second lowest 3rd down % in the league. And a very solid case can be made that the best position group all season were the safeties that Brian coached. It should be lost on no one that that's the position Steve was handed as an entry level position. The Belichick system equivalent of starting on cleanup, then washing lettuce, fries, the grill, and then assistant manager, where the big bucks are:

So wanting to keep them around is by no means a strange move. If they weren't the sons of the guy you just fired moved on from.

Seriously, who does this? Ever? Isn't it just a tacit, unspoken agreement that when your father leaves, you go with him? Even if like Mayo, you respect them, love working with them, have a rapport, and have coached some beautiful games together, isn't this an untenable situation? 

Throughout human history, the only time you kept the family of your former leader around was as hostages. You didn't put them in charge of anything. For the obvious reason that they will at best have questionable loyalty. And at worst will undermine you and attempt a coup. I'm not saying the Belichick lads are wired to destroy the Patriots from within. Or that this calls for a Red Wedding scenario, where anyone who ever worked well with the last head coach needs to be put to the sword. It's just that I can't conceive of a situation where Belichick the Elder is off in Dallas or Atlanta or wherever, while Belichicks the Younger are sitting in meetings with Mayo trying to scheme up ways to make a run at Miami and Buffalo in 2024. It's beyond imagining. 

But then again, this whole situation has felt like a glitch in the Matrix, so why should this make sense? Like I said when it was reported they're keeping the same player personnel staff in place, apparently the situation was so bad it cost the best ever to do it his job. But not so bad that it cost anyone else their job. Strange days indeed.