According to the latest rumors and reports across the league, legendary head coach Bill Belichick could be out of a job as soon as next week. In other news, Roquan Smith talked about his new life in Baltimore and Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing gave a look into how they plan to use Kyler Murray in his return to action.
NFL Rumors: Bill Belichick, Roquan Smith, Kyler Murray
Boston Globe: Bill Belichick Could Be Fired Midseason
The 2023 New England Patriots are a disaster. At 2-7, the team is one of the worst in the league and have a better shot at the first-overall pick than a playoff spot. Coaching performances like this often end in a firing, and a recent report indicates that Bill Belichick is not above such a fate.
In a recent article, Ben Volin of the Boston Globe states that the end of the Belichick Era might be coming sooner rather than later. “Based on my conversations, I don’t think it’s 100 percent that Belichick finishes out this season. These next two games before the bye are huge, particularly the Germany game, which is practically the team’s Super Bowl for the Krafts. If Belichick loses at home to the Commanders and then to the Colts, and comes home from Germany with a 2-8 record, I think there’s a chance the Krafts could make the move in the bye week and install Jerod Mayo as the interim coach for the final seven games.”
No matter what the rumors say, it’s hard to imagine a world where Bill Belichick doesn’t survive until the end of the season. Even though the game has seemingly passed him by, and the end of the day he’s one of the greatest coaches in history and a legend in New England. The Patriots gain nothing by firing him, so they might as well just wait until the end of the season before amicably agreeing to part ways.
Roquan Smith Thankful For Ravens Trade
The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best defenses in football, and linebacker Roquan Smith is a big part of that success. Acquired at the trade deadline last year, Smith immediately became an instrumental part of the Ravens defense, and it sounds like he couldn’t be happier in his new NFL home.
Speaking to Albert Breer, Smith said that “[the trade] was bittersweet for me, just knowing Chicago and rightfully so. But if I would’ve stayed there, honestly, [I] wouldn’t have been able to compete for a title anytime soon…Man, it makes me so happy, just knowing my career is not going down the drain, in the sense of playing somewhere where I’m not truly competing for a title.”
Now, it’s important to note that Smith’s comments do not have a negative bearing on the City of Chicago or its passionate fanbase. Smith is simply comparing the current state of both organizations, and it’s hard to fault him for the comments. The Ravens are one of the best teams in the league, while the Bears are currently one of the worst. Perhaps Chicago can turn it around with their two first-round picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, but that’s anything but a foregone conclusion.
Kyler Murray Going to Run In Week 10
After tearing his ACL in December of 2022, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is set to make his season debut in Week 10. Generally speaking, most mobile quarterbacks returning from such an injury need a few weeks before they’re back to their old form, but offensive coordinator Drew Petzing expects Murray to be the exception to the rule.
“He’s healthy; he’s ready to go; and we will put him in position to be successful,” Petzing said. “That’s always the nature of the franchise quarterback, and you see it around the league when they are very mobile, there is an injury risk associated with that. We have to manage that as all teams with elite quarterbacks do.”
Petzing is clearly confident in his quarterback, but personally, I’ll need to see it before I believe it. Murray will be rusty and, even if he’s healthy enough to play, he probably won’t have his full range of mobility. He’ll be back to his old self eventually, but don’t expect vintage Murray in Week 10.
Main Photo: Bob DeChiara – USA Today Sports
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