Bill Belichick Remembers Steelers Patriots 2023 Draft Trade: 'We Weren't Heartbroken' That Jets Got Screwed

The Pittsburgh Steelers made a rather uncharacteristic move in the 2023 NFL Draft. General Manager Omar Khan elected to trade up in the first round in order to select University of Georgia offensive tackle, Broderick Jones. While the lineman hasn't quite found his way to the left side just yet, he played well throughout his rookie season and is expected to be the future at the left tackle position for the Steelers. Much was made about the New England Patriots willingly trading with Pittsburgh due to the fact that their division rival, the New York Jets, also had a similar need on the offensive line.

One of the individuals involved with the 2023 draft day trade was former Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick. Arguably the greatest coach of all-time made a rare public appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, and Steelers fan Tone Digs asked the legend about the move and if it was specifically to interrupt the Jets' plans about landing a tackle.

"We only traded back a couple of spots. We were pretty confident that the Steelers were looking for a tackle and we were pretty confident that the Jets weren't going to take a corner[back] because they had taken [Ahmad 'Sauce'] Gardner the year before. So, we kind of thought that both teams were looking for the same things. In the end, the Jets ended up taking a pass rusher."

That answer was rather simple from Belichick, as his responses usually are, but he then continued about the transaction. The Patriots were taking a cornerback regardless, so the move made sense. Belichick didn't say it directly, but he definitely implied that robbing the Jets of Jones' talents was satisfying.

"We were really interested in the corner. We probably would have stayed there and taken [Christian] Gonzalez, uhm, we would have done that, that's not probably. We would have done that. The option to move back a couple spots. Of course, we didn't know that the Steelers were going to take the guy that the Jets wanted. I mean, I would say we weren't heartbroken that that happened. That's the way it goes."

After only one season, it's hard to tell if the Steelers found a home run in Jones, but it appears as if he will be a stalwart on the line for years to come. The trade didn't cost Khan much, so it was a win-win for both Pittsburgh and New England.

It's hard to believe that Belichick, as strategic as he has always been, didn't purposely accept a trade with the Steelers. As Jones was available, it would make too much sense to trade the pick to someone outside of your division, especially if the Patriots were confident that Christian Gonzalez was going to be available at number 17.

The interesting part about the deal is that it could have backfired on Belichick. Pittsburgh needed a cornerback too, but elected to wait it out and take Joey Porter Jr. at the top of the second round. It would have been looked at as a poor move by the Patriots if the Steelers switched gears and went with one of the top cornerback prospects instead. Belichick has been around for a while, though, and he was confident that Jones would be taken from the Jets and end up in Pittsburgh.

Steelers Drafting A Tackle In Round One Is Absolutely Possible In 2024

If the goal is to get Jones over to the left side, Pittsburgh could certainly choose to select a right tackle prospect in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft. This would complete a two-year process of solidifying those positions for years to come. One thing is for sure, and that's the fact that fans in the Steel City are happy Belichick may have been a little petty when allowing the Steelers to scoop up Jones.