Earlier this season, reports emerged of the New England Patriots already informing Bill Belichick of their plans to move on from the eventual Hall of Fame coach at season’s end. Those reports have only since strengthened, with other rumors flying around, speculating on who the next Patriots coach may be.
Yet, despite the Patriots currently being in the midst of their worst year yet in the Belichick era, it’s possible no decision has been made on the future of their legendary coach just yet.
In fact, according to a Saturday report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Patriots and Belichick “have not talked about a split at any point this season.”
Obviously, this is a very different story than what we previously heard. However, as Schefter notes, many within NFL circles still anticipate a change coming to New England’s coaching staff. Yet, most don’t expect Belichick to be fired, not after all he’s accomplished in New England.
The best solution for everyone may be to try and find a trade, yet there’s no indication Belichick will be on board with that plan either. After all, he’s the greatest coach in NFL history. In other words, trading for that type of prestige won’t be inexpensive. Naturally, Belichick realizes that whatever his new team gives up via trade, will only harm his chances to compete right away.
While the Patriots may prefer a trade, Belichick likely feels differently, where he’d rather have the ability to pick and choose different coaching situations, weighing their offers against one another. Either way, with just one final game left on the Patriots’ schedule, we should have our answers soon enough.
Related: New England Patriots team source: Coaching staff dynamic here is ‘f—ed’
