Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots have four games remaining in what has been a disastrous season for the AFC East team.
New England sits at 3-10 heading into Week 15 against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. It has led to widespread rumors that Belichick and the Patriots will end up parting ways after an extremely successful 24-year run.
We now have more concrete information on this via Patriots insider Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston.
“When they came out of [the 10-6 loss to the Colts on Nov. 12 in] Germany, conversations I had that week made it very clear that a decision was made. They were going to play out the string, and at the end of the year, there would be a parting of the ways for a variety of reasons,” report on Bill Belichick and his future with the New England Patriots.
Curran made it clear that Patriots owner Robert Kraft was embarrassed by their showing in an ugly loss to the Colts in Germany. He wants this franchise to continue being an international brand. Wasting away in last place in the AFC East, that’s obviously not the case right now.
“It had gone too far. The Germany game. The Commanders game,” Curran noted. “The Saints game. All huge, marquee games. And then there was the Chargers game after that.”
Despite defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 14, New England’s on-field product has been a disaster this season. That included a 6-0 loss to the aforementioned Chargers in Week 13.
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New England Patriots to move on from Bill Belichick after the season
There was even some thought that Kraft could move on from Belichick in-season. This never really made sense given his track record and a certain respect factor. That includes six Super Bowl titles for Belichick in New England.
The likelier scenario here is that the Patriots are able to find a trade partner for Belichick. They signed him to an extension ahead of the 2023 season, meaning that he’s under contract for the foreseeable future. The Washington Commanders have been one team mentioned the most in this regard.
For Belichick and the Patriots, moving on from this marriage always seemed to make sense. At some point, you have to realize the past is the past.
New England has posted a combined 28-35 record since Tom Brady’s departure following the 2019 season. The team is much closer to a complete rebuild than competing. For a 71-year-old coach in Belichick, latching on with a contender entering the twilight of his career should be in the cards.
- Bill Belichick coaching record: 301-162, .650 winning percentage, 6 Super Bowl titles
Sure, the Commanders and other teams likely looking for a new head coach won’t fit into that category. But there are very few pieces in place with the Patriots right now.
If New England does move on from Belichick, an in-house candidate to replace him exists in that of linebackers coach Jerod Mayo. He received multiple head-coach interviews last cycle and is seen as the most-likely individual to take over for this Patriots legend.