Bill Belichick captured the attention of NFL fans and reporters with his famed “on to Cincinnati” news conference in 2014.
He did it again Wednesday by repeating a phrase 12 times during a news conference.
This time, Belichick was being asked about the status of his second-year quarterback Mac Jones, who suffered an apparent ankle injury at the end of New England’s Week 3 loss to Baltimore.
MORE: Breaking down the Patriots’ quarterback depth chart if Mac Jones is out
It was reported that Jones suffered a high-ankle sprain and might miss “multiple weeks” with the injury. Belichick offered just one assessment of Jones’ injury Wednesday.
“Take it day by day,” he said when asked if Jones would start Sunday against the Packers.
This began a back-and-forth between Belichick and the reporters that lasted a few minutes. They tried to get answers out of the 70-year-old coach, but he stonewalled them every chance he got.
“Day by day. Day. By. Day,” he said when asked whether Jones would have a surgical procedure. “That’s the plan. Day. By. Day.”
MORE: How long is Mac Jones out? Latest updates, news on QB’s ankle injury
At one point, a reporter simply asked Belichick whether Jones had suffered a high-ankle sprain. The exasperated coach wouldn’t even address that topic.
“Day. By. Day. What do I look like — a doctor? An orthopedic surgeon? I don’t know. Talk to the medical experts,” Belichick said.
Naturally, that prompted reporters to ask Belichick what the medical experts on staff had said.
“Day by day. We’ll evaluate him day by day,” he responded. “What difference does it make to me? Do you think I’m going to read the MRI? That’s not my job.”
Bill Belichick – noted non-medical expert. pic.twitter.com/nrtDvFohlb
— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) September 28, 2022
That’s true, but as one reporter pointed out, it’s the job of the medical experts to read the MRI and communicate its results to Belichick. He reiterated that the medical staff had just one message for him.
“Yeah. It’s day by day. It’s getting better day by day,” he said with a smirk. “We’ll see how it is (Thursday). It’s a lot better than it was (Tuesday). We’ll see what it is.”
Well, at least Belichick gave reporters something by saying Jones’ condition had improved.
Still, that portion of his news conference felt more like a “Godspell” revival than an injury update on his quarterback.
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