WATCH: “I’m not going to kiss him,” Patriots boss Robert Kraft has an awkward moment with Bill Belichick during his farewell press conference

Kraft knows that at his age, even the common cold can be troublesome.

WATCH: “I’m not going to kiss him,” Patriots boss Robert Kraft has an awkward moment with Bill Belichick during his farewell press conference

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft greets head coach Bill Belichick after the game against the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. (Image via IMAGO)

Bill Belichick fought a wave of emotions and sickness on Friday when Robert Kraft appeared before the media. Kraft read from a piece of paper kept in front of him on the podium beneath the microphone. The world listened in pin-drop silence.

The 82-year-old owner of the New England Patriots announced the end of the more than two-decade-long tenure of Bill Belichick in Boston. It also marked arguably the greatest period the NFL had ever seen. The proof is the six Super Bowl banners hanging inside Foxborough.

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It was a sad occasion for football fans to see two titans of the game together at the same place, possibly for the final time.

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As the session ended and the news was still sinking into the reporters’ minds, Kraft went to embrace Belichick. But he did not want to catch what the 71-year-old was battling for.

He’s got a cold, so I’m not going to kiss him.
Kraft cracked a joke

He tried to lighten the mood in the room.

As the owner of the Patriots, Kraft’s next move will be to find a suitable replacement for the head coach’s position.

There have been several names thrown into the mix, including former player and recently ousted Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. One other that has been floating around is another former Patriots player and current linebacker coach, Jerod Mayo.

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What’s next for Bill Belichick?

Coach Belichick left New England winning the second most games by a head coach in the NFL (333), only behind the legendary Don Shula (347).

His last season with the Patriots finished with just four wins from 17 games, yet they were still the 11th-best defense in the league, as per Pro Football Network.

WATCH: "I'm not going to kiss him.." - Patriots boss Robert Kraft has an awkward moment with Bill Belichick during his farewell press conference
Bill Belichick (Image via CNN)

It proves that the old master is still capable of coaching a great defense. And if he goes to a franchise, that will give him the freedom to pull strings, and he might be enticed by the prospect. According to the Athletic’s Dianna Russini, Belichick may find himself with the Atlanta Falcons.

Similar to New England, the Falcons also released their head coach, Arthur Smith, after a 7-10 season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that they have even requested a meeting with Belichick.

Besides him, they are also looking at Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.

Atlanta’s biggest question mark is the quarterback. Neither Desmond Ridder nor Taylor Heinicke managed to fill the gap that former NFL MVP Matt Ryan left in 2021.

However, there are a few delicious pieces in the attack that should pique the interest of Coach Belichick.

They possess a young core of wide receivers that consists of two top-10 picks, Kyle Pitts and Drake London, whom they failed to utilize last season.

They combined caught 141 passes for just over 1500 receiving yards. And to top it off Belichchick is a fan of Pitts. The 23-year-old’s 1,026 receiving yards in his rookie season impressed him enough to brand the former Gator as a threat.

Everything is a problem. This guy, I thought last year in the draft, just watching him, he’s phenomenal. He’s big, fast and got great hands and adjusts to the ball. Makes tough catches. Savvy route-runner, can get open. Very hard to match up against.
He said as per NBC Sports.

But the player that should make Belichick giddy is the 2022 Unanimous All-American and 2023 8th overall pick Bijan Robinson.

Despite the limited service, the running back carried the ball 214 times for 976 yards and scored four touchdowns. He also caught 58 passes for 487 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

On top of that, the NFC South is one of the lower echelons of quality football. Both the winners and the runner-up of the division, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints, finished with a 9-8 record. It also has the team with the worst record in 2023, the Carolina Panthers (2-15).

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