Some within Patriots' organization have reportedly already given up the 2023 season

Mike Giardi has recently reported that some within the "upper reaches of the building" seem to have already thrown in the towel on the New England Patriots' season in 2023. I think at some point in a given season, certain teams will clearly begin turning their attention to that following draft. Teams like the Chicago Bears, Denver Broncos, and now the New England Patriots are clearly not going anywhere this season and should begin to focus in on the draft in April.

This is a truly uncharacteristic spot for the Pats' organization to be in. After a 20-year stretch of total domination, the team has not only not come close to reaching that climax, but is arguably the worst team in the entire NFL. You can surely blame a slew of different things, but at the end of the day, most, if not all of the blame should fall on Bill Belichick, who has created this mess.

Tom Brady was keeping the peace, if you will, for a while, but almost as soon as he left after 2019, you could see the chaos begin. The offense lacks playmakers and is not explosive. The quarterback is also bad. The defense is without their two best players and is clearly not going to be able to keep this team afloat going forward. Truly, the Patriots are not going anywhere this year, and according to Mike Giardi, some within the building have realized that:

""Plenty of folks in the upper reaches of the building would rather have more losses than a win or two that could cost draft positioning. In fact, some are already talking about next year. That's what 1-5 will do for you.""

Just think about this quote from Giardi for a second. You now apparently have some high-ranking folks within the organization who may actively be rooting for the team to lose more since it could keep them a the top of the 2024 NFL Draft order. This is a far cry from the team being a Super Bowl contender as recently as 2019. This is the same organization that won three Super Bowls in the 2010s and made the AFC Championship Game about 38 times in a row during the 2000s and 2010s.

Now, a total 180 leave the Patriots as a league-wide embarrassment. Mac Jones is not saving this franchise. Neither is Bill Belichick, Bill O'Brien, or anyone else currently on the roster or on the coaching staff.

If there was ever a time for a total gutting and full rebuild, 2023 should begin the process for that. The New England Patriots now have a responsibility to right the many wrongs from Belichick over the past several years. There is no more patchwork nonsense. From the top, down, things need fixing.