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Bill Belichick once famously said that we won’t catch him coaching in his 70s. But now that it’s happened, he’s focusing a little bit more on his health as he sticks around on the New England Patriots sideline.

Belichick, who turned 70 in April, spoke to the Boston Globe’s Dan Shaughnessy about the evolution of his career as he navigates the late stages of his career. Belichick told Shaughnessy he doesn’t know when he’s going to retire. But admitted he has been inspired to focus more on his health in recent years.

So far, that’s included working with Patriots strength and conditioning coach Moses Cabrera in an effort to slim down.

“I’ve got a couple of people here that help me with that,” Belichick said to the Globe. “Moses works me pretty hard. I’ve dropped a few pounds this year, so I’m not as fat as I used to be.”

It’s not like Belichick isn’t known for being active. The longtime Patriots coach is famous for watching long hours of film while on exercise machines at the team facility.

Earlier this year, tackle Trent Brown said that he seed Belichick on the treadmill “for about two hours a day.”

Back in 2018, ahead of Super Bowl LII, former defensive line coach Brendan Daly was in awe of the work Belichick put in on the treadmill while multi-tasking various forms of tape.

“One day last week, he’s got his iPad, he’s got his notebook, he’s walking on the treadmill, he’s working on Philly, and he’s got the Senior Bowl on the TV. Got all three,” Daly said at the time.

Belichick enters the 2022 season as the second-oldest coach in the NFL behind Seattle’s Pete Carroll. This comes well over a decade since Belichick said that “I won’t be like Marv Levy and coaching in my 70s,” back in 2009.

So, as he officially enters a new territory of longevity, how does Belichick feel about those comments? Not great, apparently.

“I wish I hadn’t said that,” Belichick said to Shaugnessy. “I was probably thinking of what I would feel like. Now, there’s what I actually feel like, and those are two different things. That was not one of my better statements.”

Will see how slim and spry Belichick looks on the sideline at age 70 as the Patriots open up their regular season this Sunday at 1 p.m. EST against the Miami Dolphins.

Story by Nick O’Malley, masslive.com

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