Bill Belichick’s Derogatory ‘Favorite Word’ Would’ve Had 1 Former NFL Player Cut
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick ranks right up there with some of the best NFL coaches of all time. The longtime New England Patriots coach takes a no-nonsense approach with his players and it usually pays off. During a roundtable discussion with four players, including three who played for Belichick, Belichick’s “favorite word” came up. The fourth player, Brandon Marshall, said he would’ve been cut had Belichick used that word on him.
Bill Belichick’s coaching career
Bill Belichick has been a head coach in the NFL for 26 years. Although he began his coaching career making $25 per week under Ted Marchibroda with the Baltimore Colts in 1975, Belichick didn’t become a head coach in the NFL until 1991. The Cleveland Browns signed him after a strong showing as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants in 1990.
With the Browns, Belichick didn’t have a whole lot of success. In his five years there, he managed one winning season. His career record in Cleveland was 36-44 and his best year came in 1994 when the Browns went 11-5 and made their only postseason berth under Belichick. He was fired in February of 1996.
The New England Patriots signed Belichick for the 2000 season and his struggles continued. The team went 5-11 in his first year, but then never had a losing season until this season when they went 7-9. In 2001, Tom Brady took over as the full-time starter at quarterback and guided the Patriots to the Super Bowl. In Belichick’s 21 years in New England, he’s gone 244-92 in the regular season. He also sports a 30-11 mark in the postseason.
Was Bill Belichick or Tom Brady responsible for the success?
Tom Brady or Bill Belichick? That’s always been the question. Which one of the two was most responsible for the success of the New England Patriots? That picture seemed to get a little clearer after the 2020 season.
Without Tom Brady, the New England Patriots struggled. They went 7-9, suffering their first losing season since Belichick’s first season with the team in 2000. With Cam Newton replacing Brady, the offense sputtered. Newton, however, didn’t have a whole lot of help as he was signed right before the season started and his offensive weapons were hardly considered weapons.
Meanwhile, Brady found a new home with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs helped Brady by loading him up with offensive stars. He had three standout wide receivers in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Antonio Brown. The Bucs lured Rob Gronkowski out of retirement and also added running back Leonard Fournette. Brady won his seventh Super Bowl title this season.
Belichick’s ‘favorite word’ would have gotten Brandon Marshall cut
During Monday’s I Am Athlete podcast, there were four current and former NFL players talking football. Three of them – Cam Newton, Chad Ochocinco, and Fred Taylor – once played for Bill Belichick. The other, Brandon Marshall, never did. Taylor brought up Belichick’s “favorite word,” and Marshall said he would have been cut had Belichick used it on him.
“Were you ever considered a moron?” Taylor asked Newton, who repeated the word and laughed. “That’s Bill’s favorite word. You’re a f—ing moron. Everybody is a f—ing moron.” Marshall then chimed in, asking Taylor if he was ever called a moron by the head coach. “Nah, I ain’t no f—ing moron.”
“But you said it’s his favorite word,” Marshall said. “If he called you a moron, what would you have did?”
Ochocinco jumped in and said, “Nothing.”
“I would’ve been cut,” Marshall said. “What do you mean nothing? If Bill called me a moron, bruh.”
