Many have speculated about the future of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick. However, according to a report, his future with the Patriots has already been decided.
According to NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran, Patriots Owner Robert Kraft decided to “part ways” with his future Hall of Fame coach weeks ago.
“When they came out of Germany [where the Patriots lost to the Colts 10-6 on November 12], conversations I had that week made it very clear that a decision was made,” said Curran. “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.”
Curran continued, “It had gone too far. The Germany game. The Commanders game. The Saints game. All huge, marquee games. And then there was the Chargers game after that.”
Belichick is arguably the greatest coach in NFL history and has won six Super Bowls for Kraft. Given that, an in-season firing would be unlikely, and Curran himself said he expects Belichick not to be fired before the end of the year.
Robert Kraft, owner and CEO of the New England Patriots (L), and head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots hold the Lamar Hunt Trophy after defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers 36-17 to win the AFC Championship Game at Gillette Stadium on January 22, 2017 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
However, Belichick remains under contract in New England for one more year after this season, and Kraft could attempt to trade him. A trade would be a sticky scenario, though, given that Belichick would likely want to retain any valuable assets a new team might trade in return for him.
The right thing to do, if anyone cares about that anymore, would be to let Belichick go with a hero’s send-off and let him pick his next destination without Kraft choosing it for him. Unless, of course, it is a trade where the deal and the destination are to Belichick’s liking.
However, either way, it appears Belichick’s historic run in New England is coming to an end.