Accountability Issue for Bill Belichick? Mike Reiss Thinks So

The 2024 NFL season marks the first time in 50 years that National Football League games are being played without Bill Belichick on somebody’s sideline. He started coaching in the league in 1975 as a special teams assistant with the Baltimore Colts. After stops with the Lions, Broncos, Giants, Browns, Patriots, and Jets, Belichick returned to the New England Patriots and became their head coach for 24 seasons (2000-2023). But despite Belichick not having a coaching job in 2024, football fans might be seeing more of him than ever.

Belichick agreed to several media roles for this season. He is a weekly guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” on ESPN. Belichick joins the Manning brothers for the “ManningCast” of Monday Night Football, in addition to doing an MNF preview for ESPN on Fridays with Peyton Manning. CW’s “Inside the NFL” hired Belichick to join Ryan Clark, Chris Long, and Chad Johnson on their show. Underdog Fantasy gave Belichick a YouTube show, “COACH” with Matt Patricia and Mike Lombardi.

Generally speaking, Bill Belichick’s transition into media has been met with rave reviews thus far. But one person who closely followed Belichick’s run with the Patriots still has some concerns. Mike Reiss voiced his issues with the media version of Belichick in a radio interview on Monday.

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Mike Reiss on “Zolak & Bertrand”

On Monday, Reiss was a guest on 98.5 The Sports Hub’s “Zolak & Bertrand” Show. After covering Bill Belichick’s entire head coaching stint in New England, Reiss shared his thoughts on Belichick’s early performance as a member of the media. It was not the glowing review the former head coach has received elsewhere.

“My view of it, from someone who’s been invested in the New England Patriots is, it’s hard for me to listen to everything he’s saying before he answers to some of the things that happened in the last couple of years,” said Reiss, referencing the end of Belichick’s tenure with the Patriots. “Accountability is really important to me, and for him to be critiquing other teams’ franchises before he acknowledges, ‘Hey, in 2022, Josh McDaniels leaves to become head coach of the Raiders. I sort of messed that up.’ Or, ‘Here’s what I was thinking with what I did and here’s why it didn’t work out.’. ‘Hey, I signed JuJu Smith-Schuster over Jakobi Meyers. I sort of messed that one up.’ That just needs to happen before I can really take everything he says at face value.”

Reiss continued, “My question is, has he learned anything? I mean, literally, the last two years, what happened offensively here, you can argue, is a fireable offense. And what has he learned from that? And in listening to him, I’m assessing what I think he may have learned. Not that I have all the answers, but to me, it’s important to just be accountable.”

It Wasn’t All Negative

It is important to note that Mike Reiss‘ comments about Belichick’s work in the media were not all negative. He also stated, often lost in social media blurbs, “I love that he’s doing this stuff because I do think he’s great in terms of talking the game.”

Reiss also noted on the “ManningCast” that having Belichick pointing out something others, himself included, may have been missed was great.

“It’s like, oh, this is like watching a game with Bill (Belichick),” said Reiss. “This is unbelievable.”

It is also important to note that Mike Reiss has been covering the New England Patriots since 1997. He is an outstanding reporter in addition to being one of the most well-liked people in Boston sports media. It is not an easy market to maintain a pristine reputation in for over a quarter century, though that is exactly what Reiss has managed to do. Had these comments been made by somebody with a reputation for trolling, clickbait, or craving attention, it would likely not garner nearly the same attention.

So, Does Bill Belichick Have an Accountability Issue?

Ultimately, the New England Patriots determined that Bill Belichick’s handling of the team’s coaching staff and offense over the past few years was a fireable offense (or a “parting ways with” offense, at least). But it is unlikely that Mike Reiss or anyone else feeling the same way will get the mea culpa they are hoping for. In the case of Josh McDaniels leaving, he was replaced by Matt Patricia, with whom Belichick still enjoys a close personal and working relationship. Belichick is not going to throw Patricia under the bus to appease anyone. Furthermore, it’s still unclear if he believes he did anything wrong.

Bill Belichick is also two regular season weeks from a job that he held for 24 years. Belichick’s desire for a new head coaching position in 2025 seems likely. His media gigs in 2024 serve, in part, as a prolonged job interview of sorts. Does he want to focus on everything he did wrong? And if he needs to address all of his mistakes, should he revel in his many successes as well? Or should he simply call things as he sees them without dwelling on the past?

This is not to say that Mike Reiss is wrong about how he feels. And, it is not a slight against how Bill Belichick has performed so far. Sometimes, two intelligent, well-respected people can have differing opinions on the best way to approach a task, which is fine. Belichick won more during the Super Bowl Era than any coach in NFL history and still couldn’t please everybody. His approval rating will not be 100% with his latest endeavors, either. And that’s okay, too.