Bill Belichick Exacted Revenge on NY Jets With False Draft Rumors, 3 Years After Resigning

It’s been about 25 years since Bill Belichick left the New York Jets, but his animosity toward the franchise is still alive and kicking. In fact, Belichick doesn’t miss a chance to take a shot at Gang Green. At one point, the third-most winningest coach in the league was accused of Spygate against the Jets, and the Patriots had to cough up $250k in compensation.

However, the Belichick-Jets relationship goes much deeper than that. In 2003, Belichick pranked the Jets so badly that they went 6-10. Mike Florio and Michael Holley took some time to revisit the past, but it wasn’t random. In fact, Belichick made another comment about the Jets very recently that sparked this conversation, but more on that later.

How Bill Belichick tricked the NYJ

Michael Holley brought up a 2003 NFL Draft story when the Patriots had two first-round picks and Belichick spread rumors that the New England team would try to move up a couple of spots. Of course, the rumors planted by Belichick got to the Jets, and they started making their own plans. What did the New York team do? They selected Dewayne Robertson, the fourth overall pick of the 2003 draft.

“That year [2003] the Patriots had two first round picks and there were rumors that the Patriots were going to move up in the draft to draft Dewayne Robertson because they needed a defensive tackle. And he [Belichick] told people in the building, ‘Keep that rumor going because I think the Jets might do something with this guy and I want to see it happen,’” Holley said about the 2003 draft on NFL on NBC.

Sure enough, the New York Jets took the bait. It felt like insanity watching the Jets trade two first-round picks (13th and 22nd) to the Chicago Bears in exchange for the fourth pick. Predictably, they drafted the defensive tackle out of Kentucky, who also had a bone-to-bone condition in one knee. What’s crazier is that the Jets knew about his condition. He started 75 games with the Jets and didn’t even have more than 4 sacks in a season with the NY team.

It was a bust! Remember, it had been three years since Belichick left the Jets, but the bad blood and his hunger to debilitate the Jets didn’t subside. The gravitas of those stats doesn’t kick in unless you know the Jets signed him to a seven-year, $54 million contract with a $13 million bonus because he was the fourth overall pick. They kept him for five years, and he played his next season with the Broncos.

Then, in the blink of an eye, 2007 arrived and Spygate was born. Belichick was accused of filming the Jets’ offensive and defensive signals, and it became the talk of the town. Additionally, Belichick also wasn’t afraid to take shots at the Jets whenever he beat them, and this time was no different either.

Belichick drags the New York Jets in the mud

All it took was Sam Darnold to stir up trouble once again. This time, though, the Minnesota Vikings’ perfect 3-0 start and the resurgence of Sam Darnold gave Belichick another chance to clap back at the Jets. Check out the soundbite on Mike Florio’s show. “Everybody has liked Darnold except the Jets. You know the people in Carolina that I talked to, they really liked him. He was at the Rams and not for very long and they liked him. I think they want to re-sign him,” Belichick said in the audible.

The 8x Super Bowl-winning coach also added, “He [Darnold] was looking for more of an opportunity than to play behind [Matthew] Stafford and then I know Kevin and some of the coaches in Minnesota, they really liked this guy too. So, seemed like the only people that didn’t like Darnold were at the Jets.”

Florio later clarified that it was Baker Mayfield who played for the Rams and not Darnold but gave Belichick a pass. “Can’t quit hating on the Jets,” is how Mike Florio described Bill Belichick’s relations with the New York team. On the closing note, let’s take a look at the reason Belichick hated the Jets so much before we close this column off.

Belichick was set to take the HC job at the Jets after his mentor Bill Parcells but resigned before even his first day as the HC. Per Belichick, the “uncertainties surrounding my position as it relates to the team’s new ownership,” was the reason he decided to leave the Jets. What’s even crazier is that he handed his resignation on a piece of napkin! The New York team tried to get him back, but it was too late.

Let us know what you think of this parable.