Tedy Bruschi believes Bill Belichick should retire after the 2023 season: "Shula doesn't matter"

BOSTON -- With the Patriots sitting at just 1-4 on the season, there has been a lot of chatter about the future of Bill Belichick. How much longer will the head coach keep going -- or how long will Robert Kraft let him keep going -- if New England's struggles continue?

Belichick sits just 17 wins behind Don Shula for the NFL wins record. For years it seemed like a forgone conclusion that Bellichick would eventually take over the top spot on the wins list, but with him going just 26-30 since the departure of Tom Brady, it's no longer a sure thing.

One of Belichick's former players doesn't want to see him go after that record. Tedy Bruschi, who won three Super Bowls with Belichick in New England, wants to see his former head coach get the Patriots back to respectability this season, and then ride off into the sunset. 

"This is just my personal feeling on what should happen. I want him to coach his ass off this season and get six, seven wins, all right? Have them playing respectable by the end of the season, and walk away. That's what I want my former coach to do," Bruschi said on ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown. 

Bruschi doesn't believe that Belichick needs the NFL wins record to solidify his spot as the greatest coach of all time.

"Shula doesn't matter. You've got multiple Super Bowls over Shula. You're a better coach than Don Shula," he said.

What would Bruschi like to see Belichick do instead of coaching football?

"Fish with me on Nantucket," Bruschi shouted.

The Patriots have suffered the two worst losses of Belichick's career in back-to-back weeks, outscored 72-3 by the Cowboys and the Saints. With the pressure really growing for Belichick and the Patriots to turn the season around, the head coach may not get a chance to walk away on his own terms.

But at least he has an open invite for some Nantucket fishing from Bruschi if this coaching thing doesn't work out much longer.