New England Patriots Set for Messy Bill Belichick Breakup?
If a recent report is to be believed and the New England Patriots are set to start looking for a new coach this offseason, then Bill Belichick's time in Foxboro is at an end.
This leaves the only question of how it will happen. Will team owner Robert Kraft outright fire the legendary coach or term it a "mutual parting of ways," how about potentially trading Belichick to his next team?
Those possibilities have been floated recently as the Patriots endure their worst season since 1993. However, a new report from the Boston Sports Journal reveals the potential that the breakup of the 24-year-long relationship between Belichick and the Patriots could be anything but smooth.
“Belichick might agree to nice press release language about parting of the ways, but make no mistake: The odds are strong that this will end up being a firing at the end of the day," Greg Bedard writes about a potential Belichick exit.
This comes after a report from NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran revealed that, per his source, Belichick's fate with the Patriots was sealed following the 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft (left) and coach Bill Belichick (right).
Clutchpoints
“When they came out of Germany, conversations I had that week made it very clear that a decision was made," Curran wrote. "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.”
While the idea of firing Belichick was simply unthinkable five years ago, his 28-36 record in the years following Tom Brady's departure has put him in this position. Since Brady left Foxboro for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Patriots have made the postseason just once, in 2021, while also recording a losing record in the three other seasons.
Despite no longer having arguably the greatest quarterback of all time under center, Kraft has made clear that he hasn't lost his desire to field a championship-level team or, at the very least, a playoff contender.
As things currently stand, the Patriots look to be a long way off from fulfilling either of those two goals, which will ultimately see Belichick be let go at season's end.
However, in the meantime, Belichick is still the Patriots' coach and will have them prepared for Sunday's game versus the Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff inside Gillette Stadium is scheduled for 1 p.m. EST.
