We understand why Bill Belichick was floated as a head coach candidate for the New York Jets after they fired Robert Saleh. Belichick is the most decorated coach on the free agent market, and perhaps he'd relish the opportunity to beat the team that fired him while working in the AFC East.
But if Belichick has any disdain for the New England Patriots after his January exit, it pales in comparison to his disdain for the Jets.
Exhibit A: Belichick's comments on ESPN's ManningCast during Monday night's game between the Jets and Buffalo Bills. Here's the former Patriots coach reacting to a pair of Jets penalties late in the second quarter:
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"I'm not a big Jets fan, in case you don't know that. I like Fireman Ed, but that's it. Coach Saleh did a good job with that program. He brought in a culture, a level of toughness and competitiveness. ... A little bit of a slow start, but I thought Coach Saleh really did a good job with this team, and they're probably not that far away from winning."
Peyton Manning gently tried to steer the conversation in another direction, but Belichick wasn't done, calling out Jets owner Woody Johnson for what he clearly thought was a premature decision to fire Saleh.
"That's kinda what it's been there with the Jets," Belichick added. "They've barely won over 30 percent in the last 10 years. The owner being the owner, just ready, fire, aim."
Bill Belichick: "I'm not a big Jets fan, in case you don't know that... I thought Coach Saleh really did a good job with this team... That's kinda what it's been there with the Jets. They've barely won over 30% in the last 10 years. The owner being the owner... ready, fire aim." pic.twitter.com/p0Ek5RCuJg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) October 15, 2024
You think that's how Belichick would talk about his future employer?
For context, Belichick actually spent three seasons with the Jets as their defensive coordinator from 1997 to 1999 and was set to be New York's head coach when Bill Parcells stepped away after the 1999 season. But Belichick famously resigned the day after he took the job to take the Patriots head coach job, and perhaps not coincidentally, his exit was timed with Johnson taking ownership of the team in January 2000.
The Jets have won just 43.2 percent of their games since Johnson took over (and 34 percent of their games in the last 10 seasons, as Belichick pointed out) with just six postseason appearances in 24 years. The issue appears to begin at the top with Johnson, who reportedly made the decision to fire Saleh after he was disappointed with the team's Week 5 performance in London.
And as long as Johnson is running the Jets, it sounds like you won't be seeing Belichick on their sideline.
"He walked away from the Jets and Woody Johnson 24 years ago," our Patriots Insider Tom E. Curran said recently of Belichick on Arbella Early Edition. "He's not going back to that organization, and I think he loathes them to the very marrow of his being."
That much was evident Monday night.
