Bill Belichick Skips Coaches Photo At NFL League Meetings ... Again
BOSTON (CBS) -- If you want to catch Bill Belichick this offseason, good luck.
The Patriots' head coach, fresh off winning a Super Bowl, has been a busy man in his abbreviated offseason. He's made a slew of trades and signings, he's spent time at the Scouting Combine as well as several pro days, he golfed at Pebble Beach, he narrated a World War II documentary, and he even managed to find some time to rest on his boat.
But he doesn't have time to sit around with a bunch of reporters for breakfast, as we learned a few days ago. And as we now see in a photo, Bill doesn't have time to say cheese for the camera.
Here's the 2017 Head Coaches Group photo from the @NFL Annual Meeting today at Arizona Biltmore pic.twitter.com/5XcKZzMSSR
— Mark Dalton (@CardsMarkD) March 27, 2017
However, Belichick is definitely in attendance at the meeting, as he was spotted exchanging pleasantries with commissioner Roger Goodell.
Just getting to this now, but moments after the #Raiders general session finished, these two talked. pic.twitter.com/S9OM21DFpG
— Lorenzo Reyes (@LorenzoGReyes) March 27, 2017
Skipping the annual photo of NFL coaches is a bit of a routine for Belichick. Here's the photo from last year, from which Belichick is missing.
#NFL coaches gathered this morn for annual photo pic.twitter.com/OWZrm9MGEj
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) March 21, 2016
He actually made headlines for showing up to take the picture in 2015, both because he actually showed up, and also because he was wearing flip-flops and was seated next to Pete Carroll just a couple of months after their fateful meeting in Super Bowl XLIX.
#nfl coaches gathered for their annual league mtg picture pic.twitter.com/z7Zplq4kpC
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) March 23, 2015
Bill wasn't there in 2014 ...
annual tradition at league meeting - coaches photo pic.twitter.com/2M0mz2j51u
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) March 24, 2014
... nor was he there in 2013.
#nfl coaches gathered for a group photo at league mtg today pic.twitter.com/LDMaeTbhjS
— Brian McCarthy (@NFLprguy) March 18, 2013
This year, Belichick's taken his aversion to the league meeting to the breakfast table, as it was reported that he'd be missing Tuesday's session with reporters due to a "scouting conflict." He and the Patriots have also taken a less active role in making suggestions to the competition committee, as their ideas have typically been discarded, only to later be resurrected by another team and adopted by the league.
One could say that Belichick's participation level in the annual meeting is at its lowest point. The reigning Super Bowl champion is likely not too broken up about it.