Former NFL Pro Bowl Linebacker Says Bill Belichick's Seat Is 'Warm' With Patriots

Is Bill Belichick on the way out with the New England Patriots? If the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach doesn't have a strong 2021 season, he could be looking for a new NFL team, according to former NFL linebacker and three-time Pro Bowler LaVar Arrington who appeared on FS1. He said that the Patriots coach needs to prove he can win with Tom Brady, who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in February.

"Having the type of season that [the Patriots] had last year can make you rethink a whole lot of things that you did in the past," Arrington said, per CBS Sports. "That seat is warm for Bill Belichick and that might sound crazy for some people, but Bill Belichick has to have a good season this year. And you know why? Because there are whispers -- 'It was Tom. It was always Tom. It couldn't have been anything else but Tom.' And Bill Belichick has to show before he gets too far away from Tom Brady leaving that it was not Tom Brady, that it was, in fact and indeed, the system of what Bill Belichick built in New England."

John Breech of CBS Sports notes that Belichick has a 61-72 record without Brady. The majority of those games were when he was with the Cleveland Browns, during the 1990s. As a head coach with the Patriots, Belichick is 25-28 when he doesn't have Brady under center. In 2020, the Patriots went 7-9 with Cam Newton as their starting quarterback. In November, Belichick talked about why the team is struggling.

"Look, we paid Cam Newton $1 million. I mean it's obvious we didn't have any money. It's nobody's fault," he said. "That's what we did the last five years. We sold out and won three Super Bowls, played in a fourth and played in an AFC championship game. This year we had less to work with. It's not an excuse, it's just a fact."

If the Patriots were to go 7-9 or worse this upcoming season, it's unlikely Belichick will be fired. In 2008, the Patriots lost Brady for the entire year due to a torn ACL, and the Patriots won 11 games. And when it comes to the 2020 season, Belichick lost a handful of defensive starters due to injuries or opting out. The odds are the Patriots will get back on track in 2021.