Bill Belichick is still the right coach for the New England Patriots despite their struggles this season.
That is the view of Duron Harmon, who played for the Patriots between 2013 and 2019, winning three Super Bowl rings in that time.
All of those triumphs came under Belichick's guidance, with the 71-year-old having been head coach of the Patriots since 2000.
His 24th straight season in charge has proved a dismal one, with the Patriots sinking to a 2-10 record.
New England have lost their last five games including their 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 13.
Their displays have cast doubt over the future of veteran coach Belichick, but Harmon – who is on the practice roster at the Cleveland Browns – does not think making a change is the right solution.
"I just think it's timing," he told Stats Perform. "How many organisations do you know that are this successful for this long? That's life.
"You look at all the great organisations, the [Chicago] Bulls when they had their run, then eventually, you've got to go through [hard times].
"That's just a part of sports that happens because when you're at the top, everybody's gunning for you. Everybody's trying to figure out how to get better.
"They're taking from you, they're taking coaches from you. They're taking players from you. That's sports, it's life.
"We've come where it's time for the Patriots to be on the other side for a little bit. I think if there is one person that can reverse it and turn it the other way, it's the man that's right there, and that's Bill Belichick – he's done it before.
"If he has the, I don't want to say patience, but if he wants to go through that again, I think he's the man to do it."
Harmon also believes Belichick would choose to stay on with the Patriots, rather than end his tenure on a low ebb.
He added: "Besides Tom Brady, he's the most competitive person I know. People don't realise, Bill is a competitor. He loves to win, but he hates to lose even more. And you can kind of just see it in his demeanour.
"Losing is not a part of his nature and I can't see him just going out like this.
"I think this would be the motivation. He does everything there. He's the coach, he's the front office. It's all on him."
Saints QB Derek Carr to miss multiple games
The New Orleans Saints will be without starting quarterback Derek Carr for multiple games, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday.
Carr suffered an oblique injury in the fourth quarter of the Saints’ 26-13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night, leaving backup Jake Haener to finish the game.
It remains unclear whether Carr will be placed on injured reserve.
Haener, a fourth-round pick in 2023, could be the temporary starter in the coming weeks, but New Orleans could go with fifth-round rookie Spencer Rattler.
Neither has started an NFL game.
Carr has been one of the healthiest quarterbacks in the NFL since he entered the league in 2014. He started all 17 games for the Saints last year despite an injury to his throwing shoulder.
In his second season in New Orleans, Carr had the Saints off to a dream 2-0 start, outscoring opponents 91-29. The Saints have lost three straight games since, however, and face the NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6.
In Weeks 7 through 9, the Saints play against the Denver Broncos, at the Los Angeles Chargers and at the Carolina Panthers.
Carr ranks eighth among qualifying quarterbacks with a 100.7 passer rating this season. He has completed 70.3 percent of his passes for 989 yards, eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
Despite leaving Monday’s game with an injury, Carr reached a pair of milestones by going over 40,000 career passing yards and throwing his 250th touchdown.
Patriots plan to start Maye at quarterback against Texans
Drake Maye's time has come.
Maye will start at quarterback for the New England Patriots this Sunday against the visiting Houston Texans, according to multiple reports on Tuesday.
The Patriots selected Maye with the third overall pick of this year's draft, and it was only a matter of time before they would name him a starter.
The struggles of Jacoby Brissett may have sped up the decision.
In leading New England to a 1-4 record, Brissett ranks 29th in passer rating (74.2), 30th in average passing yards (139.2), 30th in completion percentage (58.5) and 31st in yards per attempt (5.16) with only two passing touchdowns and one interception.
Maye's only regular-season action came in mop-up duty in the Patriots' 24-3 loss to the New York Jets in Week 3. The 22-year-old was 4 of 8 for 22 yards and also ran twice for 12 yards.
Maye will become the fourth quarterback from this year's rookie class to start in 2024, joining top overall pick Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears, No. 2 pick Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders and the Denver Broncos' Bo Nix, who was selected 12th overall.
Those QBs are a combined 13-5 in their starts.
Jets fire coach Saleh after starting season 2-3
The New York Jets have seen enough of Robert Saleh as coach of the team.
The Jets decided to fire Saleh on Tuesday after the team opened the 2024 season 2-3.
Saleh, 45, took over as coach of the Jets in 2021, and went 20-36 in his three-plus seasons at the helm.
He will be replaced by defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who will serve as the interim coach.
This is the first time Woody Johnson has fired a coach mid-season during his 25 years as the team's owner.
The decision to fire Saleh came two days after the Jets managed just 254 yards in Sunday's 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
New York has scored two offensive touchdowns in its last two games and has been held to fewer than 275 yards in four of five games this season.
Aaron Rodgers has struggled early in his return from a torn left Achilles tendon, and it's been reported Saleh had a rocky relationship with the veteran quarterback.
Saleh took issue with Rodgers' cadence following a 10-9 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 4, and in New York's win over the New England Patriots in Week 3, Saleh attempted to give Rodgers a hug on the side-line, but the 40-year-old QB appeared to push him away.
The Jets, who have the NFL's longest active play-off drought at 13 seasons, next play Monday at home against the Bills, and they can move into a tie with Buffalo atop the AFC East with a win.
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