As Bill Belichick prepares to activate his plan to return to the NFL in 2025, he remains in the unique position of being able to tamper at will with players and coaches who currently are under contract with other teams.
Thus, everything Belichick says on his umpteen media platforms should be viewed through that prism.
Case in point, during the latest episode of the Let’s Go! podcast, Belichick shared his views on the struggles of Ravens kicker Justin Tucker.
“Obviously there’s something that’s a little bit off from a technique standpoint,” Belichick sai, “but I don’t see that there’s like a lack of talent. I think there’s something mechanically that he’s not doing consistently. If you have the key to unlock that problem, then probably everything could be great.
“But clearly this extends back even to last year a little bit, too, because there was some accuracy issues last year in the ‘23 season as well as the current season. So I think Coach Harbaugh is doing the right thing. I would stick with Justin Tucker. This guy was the most accurate kicker in the history of football. He gets great height on the ball. He’s been super consistent. He’s obviously having a little bit of a rough patch right here but it doesn’t look to me like his talent level has declined. There’s something mechanically that just isn’t quite right all the time. I think they just gotta work hard and try to find that.”
And if, after the season, the Ravens decide to make a change, Tucker possibly could find a safe harbor with Belichick. Given that Belichick is currently unattached, he can make that known publicly — and privately.
The next question becomes whether it’s all a Jedi Mind Trick by Belichick, aimed at getting the Ravens to stick with a kicker who might be washed for fear of having that kicker rediscover his groove with one of John Harbaugh’s fiercest rivals.
