NFL Rumors: Steve Belichick May Be Following His Dad’s Path To The Top Of The NFL

Steve Belichick has been quietly working his way up the ranks of the New England Patriots coaching staff, taking over some duties from his dad as he appears to follow the same path to the top of the NFL.

The son of head coach Bill Belichick has been an assistant with the Patriots since 2012 and recently has been taking on a major role. As CBS Sports reported, several Patriots players have said that Steve is now calling plays for the team’s defense and has been doing it for several weeks. As the report noted, Bill Belichick followed the same path before becoming an NFL head coach, helping lead the New York Giants to two Super Bowls as defensive coordinator.

Bill Belichick was credited with the defensive gameplan that thwarted the high-flying Buffalo Bills offense in Super Bowl XXV, leading the Giants to what was then one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. Steve Belichick appears to have taken the same shine to the defensive side of the ball, taking on greater responsibilities with the Patriots since the departure of defensive coordinator Brian Flores to become head coach of the Miami Dolphins.

Patriots players seem to agree with the promotion for Steve Belichick, saying the unit is working well under his leadership.

“We’ve started to gel with [Steve Belichick], knowing what he’s going to call and the way he thinks through the game,” Patriots safety Terrence Brooks recently told the Boston Herald, via CBS Sports.

“I remember before one of his first games calling it, he was a little nervous, and I had to shake him up a little bit and pep talk him up and tell him that he’s one of the best.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06MBmGDLU_c

Jerod Mayo, the Patriots’ inside linebacker coach, told Yahoo Sports that Steve Belichick has much the same personality as his dad. Steve is also a student of the game with a deep appreciation of its history and a strong command of X’s and O’s, Mayo said.

It’s not clear if Steve Belichick would be on track to become an NFL coach himself, but it may not be happening with the Patriots anytime soon. As CBS Sports noted this week, Belichick appears to be going back on his statement made back in 2009 that he couldn’t see himself coaching into his 70s. Belichick was 57 at the time he made the statement and said now that he’s actually closer to 70, he’s not so sure he wants to quit.