Bill Belichick began his NFL coaching career in 1975 with the Baltimore Colts.
If he sticks around for a few more seasons, Belichick will have 50 years in the league under his belt — which is simply incredible. The New England Patriots head coach quickly shut down speculation of retirement at the end of last year and he’s fully present for the 2022 season, despite the turnover in the front office and coaching staff.
Belichick is ready to do his job and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
In a column published by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, longtime safety discussed Belichick’s longevity.
“I’ve always said, when people ask me what’s Bill like, that he’s the model of consistency,” McCourty said. “Showing up to your job every day, having the same attitude, the same messaging, and being able to do that over and over again is hard.
“He continues to come in here, Day 1 of OTAs, for however many years it is, and it’s the same intensity.”
Belichick carried that intensity two seasons ago following the loss of Tom Brady, even though the Patriots missed the playoffs. He maintained it last season with a rookie quarterback, and that team was red-hot midseason and made the playoffs.
It truly does come down to fundamentals and repetition.
“It’s fundamentals, doing the right things, the small things over and over again. He never slips up on that,” McCourty continued. “This being my 13th year, I’ve seen that over and over again. It’s hard to replicate, but I think getting an opportunity to play for him as a player has made me a better player.”
The Patriots have a lot of new pieces on the roster and in the staff and Belichick will do what he always does — put them all together.
