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Bill Belichick is a man of few words. That’s why having him directly admit his hatred for the New York Jets would be challenging. However, actions speak louder than words, and a trade during the 2023 NFL Draft might highlight his distaste for New York’s AFC squad.
The Washington Post’s NFL analyst Jason La Canfora recently referenced the Day 1 trade between the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Also serving as New England’s de facto general manager, Bill Belichick has the final say on all football-related decisions. He traded their 14th overall selection to the Steelers in exchange for Pittsburgh’s first and fourth-rounders.
It’s a wise move because getting a defensive back is the Patriots’ priority, and only Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon was off the board then. However, the Jets waiting at number 15 made the transaction fishy.
An NFL general manager who spoke on the condition of anonymity shared with La Canfora:
“They should have had to give up a [third-round pick] and not a four to move up there. Belichick did it just to f--- the Jets. He sold low because he knew the Steelers were going to take the kid the Jets wanted to take.”
The kid being discussed is former Georgia offensive tackle Broderick Jones. The Jets would have wanted the 2022 First Team All-SEC member to bolster the offensive line protecting Aaron Rodgers. Instead, he will protect Kenny Pickett, and New York panicked by selecting defensive end Will McDonald IV.
There’s nothing wrong with weakening the opposition by any legal means necessary. New England and Pittsburgh agreed to terms in a win-win swap after the Patriots drafted former Oregon cornerback Christian Gonzalez at 17.
However, reading between the lines and knowing his coaching history might hint at Bill Belichick’s long-standing bitterness with the New York Jets.
Bill Belichick’s one-day head coaching tenure
The Parcells-Belichick tandem started their rise to prominence with the New York Giants in the 1980s and early 90s.
“The Big Tuna” was the head coach, while Bill Belichick was his defensive coordinator. They won two Super Bowls with the G-Men before parting ways. Belichick then became the Cleveland Browns head coach in 1991, while Bill Parcells took a sabbatical from coaching.
The two football geniuses would reunite in 1996 when Parcells was the Patriots’ head coach while Belichick was his deputy. They then took their act to The Big Apple a year later, but with an odd twist to go around NFL rules.
Belichick was named interim head coach, and Parcells became a consultant because he was still under contract with New England.
However, Parcells regained the top coaching position after the Jets agreed to give the Patriots four draft picks over the next three years. He then resigned after the 1999 season and persuaded the Jets management to name Bill Belichick his successor.
In January 2000, the Wesleyan alumnus turned an introductory press conference into a resignation. Multiple factors come into play during his one-day stint as Jets head coach.
First, the Jets ownership transitioned to Woody Johnson after Leon Hess’ death in May 1999. Second, Belichick believed that he would have complete control over personnel decisions. Instead, Parcells stayed for the 2000 season as general manager.
Patriots hoping to atone for past mistakes by hiring Bill Belichick
The New England Patriots prevented Bill Parcells from having complete control over football decisions when they made Bobby Grier Director of Player Personnel in 1995. This setup led to the two individuals clashing over whom they would pick.
Parcells wanted defensive end Tony Brackens for their 1996 first-round selection. Conversely, Grier wanted wide receiver Terry Glenn. Team owner Robert Kraft sided with Grier, making Glenn the seventh overall selection.
Four years later, Kraft wanted to make things right by hiring Bill Belichick as head coach and de facto general manager. It was an easy decision for the football mentor, especially after the Jets blindsided him twice by having Parcells stay as an executive.
New York also removed his interim tag after Parcells left his contract with New England.
Karma sided with New England as it won six Super Bowls with Belichick. Meanwhile, the Jets haven’t been to a Super Bowl since Belichick took over the Patriots. Worse yet, they haven’t made the playoffs since 2011, the longest active postseason drought by an NFL franchise.
The Jets triggered Spygate
Bill Belichick’s unpronounced animosity with the New York Jets multiplied when Jets head coach Eric Mangini notified league officials about the Patriots’ alleged recording of their defensive signals.
The team formally filed a protest on September 2007. Their claim got stronger when footage from NFL security showed a Patriots video assistant filming the Jets’ defensive signals from an unapproved location.
As a result, Bill Belichick paid a $500,000 fine, while the Patriots paid $250,000 separately. The league office also took their first-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft.
While this incident fueled Belichick’s issues with the Jets, the sanctions didn’t bother the Patriots from performing well. New England finished the first 16-0 regular season in NFL history, only to lose to the Jets’ intracity rivals, the New York Giants, in Super Bowl XLII.
The Patriots have humiliated the Jets over the years
While the Jets-Patriots rivalry started during their days in the American Football League, it continues today in the AFC East. New England has a 73-54-1 edge in their all-time series, and have been on a 14-game-winning streak against their opponents since 2016.
The Jets’ last four performances against the Patriots have been disappointing to say the least.
Zach Wilson threw four interceptions in their 2021 Week 2 match-up. Five weeks later, the Patriots scored 54 points and won by 41.
New England then edged New York in Week 8 of the 2022 regular season, with Wilson throwing three picks. In Week 11, the Patriots limited the Jets to three points, while Wilson completed only nine of 22 passing attempts for 77 yards.
Getting Aaron Rodgers should help the Jets as they look to break their barren run against the Patriots. However, Bill Belichick’s latest ace may leave Rodgers, a four-time NFL MVP, unprotected during their battles.
Another win over the Jets should put a grin on Belichick’s poker face.
