Bill Belichick says he had a ‘good long weekend’ after the Patriots were docked two OTA days for breaking league rules as coach says situation has been ‘resolved’
- Belichick took responsibility for the fouls for players who stayed late
- Assistant coach Joe Judge reportedly held players in a special team meeting
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At age 71, longtime emperor of the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick, hasn’t lost his knack for short, dry press conferences — but this time, he brought in some humor when asked about his team’s canceled OTAs.
The Patriots were imposed two days of “optional team activities” for violating league rules — giving New England a nice extended vacation from May 25 through Memorial Day weekend, continuing through Tuesday until finally returning on Wednesday. went to work.
Belichick, the infamous football-focused workaholic, had a surprisingly smooth answer when asked how he spent those days off.
“Had a good long weekend,” the longtime head coach told reporters.
The Pats lost those two days after players spent more than the league-allowed time in team facilities.
Bill Belichick joked that he “had a good long weekend” after losing two OTA days
Assistant coach Joe Judge allegedly kept players at a special team meeting for too long, in violation of the NFL’s policy on how long players can be in a team’s facilities
But Belichick took the blame, saying he was responsible for the mess
Former Giants coach Joe Judge was reportedly responsible for the offense in his second year back with New England – according to the Boston Sports Journal, he kept players at special team meetings longer than allowed.
But Belichick dismissed the blame from his assistant coach and put all the responsibility on his shoulders.
“The whole situation is past. It’s been resolved and we’ve moved on,” Belichick said, later adding, “I’m responsible for it. That is it.’
Belichick, who was starting his 24th season in New England, was also fined $50,000 by the league.
When asked what Judge’s role is on the team, Belichick replied, ‘He’ll do what I ask him to do. It may change from time to time, he will be involved in many things.
‘Joe’s great. Smart guy, got a lot of experience. Do what we need him to do, and he can do a lot. So he will.’