Are Patriots Most Likely to Trade, Fire or Mutually Part Ways with Bill Belichick?
Bill Belichick's future has been the source of widespread speculation this season—for good reason.
Belichick doesn't have anything to prove. He's the owner of a record eight Super Bowl rings.
Belichick isn't young. In fact, no AFC head coach is older.
Belichick likely doesn't want to be part of a major rebuild, and the New England Patriots might not want him to be part of one, either. Right now, they're a 3-10 team that will fail to win a playoff game for the fifth consecutive season, so said rebuild feels rather inevitable.
Could the 71-year-old become the latest head coach to be involved in a blockbuster trade? Could the Patriots decide to simply fire him? Could he walk away from the sport entirely after 29 seasons as an NFL head coach?
Regardless, it sure sounds as though a crossroads is on the horizon.
"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," NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran said Monday on the Arbella Early Edition. "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."
With the Pats entering a full-blown "playing out the string" four-game run to conclude the 2023 regular season, let's speculate!
Trade?
1 of 3
Did you know Belichick has been traded before? In fact, that's how the Pats acquired him back in 2000. That deal, which came following Belichick's abrupt resignation from the New York Jets, cost the team a first-round draft pick.
Since then, the Tampa Buccaneers gave up a first-rounder and more to the Oakland Raiders for Jon Gruden in 2002, and the New Orleans Saints got a first-rounder from the Denver Broncos in exchange for Sean Payton just this year.
There have been other deals involving venerable coaches, but those are the big three since the turn of the century.
It's entirely possible Belichick could make it four while starring in two of those.
According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Belichick is contractually "locked up long-term," which means the Pats would be silly to give him up to a competitor for nothing. So if the man still wants to coach, this is likely the route.
Oh, and if anyone's willing to pay up for his services.
Who might those teams be? If you're considering it, you've realistically got to be somewhat of a contender. That theoretically makes the draft capital investment less harmful, and there's a good chance Belichick isn't interesting in partaking in a rebuild or a celebration of mediocrity anywhere else.
The Los Angeles Chargers immediately come to mind. Great young quarterback in a hot market, plenty of talent around said quarterback, and the results just haven't been there for current (outgoing?) head coach Brandon Staley.
The Carolina Panthers aren't remotely a contender, but their name has come up a lot, because it doesn't take long to make that turn in this league and Carolina at least has a shiny No. 1 overall pick in quarterback Bryce Young. Plus, they obviously have a vacancy already following Frank Reich's firing (so do the Las Vegas Raiders, but with less talent under center).
Competitive teams with established coaches probably won't want to mess with what ain't broke, but might Pittsburgh Steelers brass decide that the Mike Tomlin era has gone stale? If that team continues to spiral, it's not completely out of the question. Ditto for if the Dallas Cowboys fall short again in January with Mike McCarthy and Jerry Jones decides to go YOLO. And then you have to wonder if Belichick would go full circle and land with the Jets to coach Aaron Rodgers for a wild dual swan song, although that's far-fetched considering Gang Green and New England share a division.
Regardless, there are plenty of intriguing potential trade avenues.
Fire?
2 of 3
I know, I know. Six Super Bowls in New England alone. Eleven career Super Bowl appearances as a coach or coordinator. It's hard to imagine there wouldn't be some major trade interest in Belichick, even if for the sake of some heightened publicity.
Still, a primo draft pick is a heavy price when we're talking about a coach who will be 72 and could easily pull a 2000 Jets and resign via napkin at any frustrated moment.
It's also possible Belichick's lost his fastball. It's gotta be a bit daunting for other teams (or Patriots owner Bob Kraft) to consider that Belichick's Pats have put together just one winning season since 2020, that he's failed to turn 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones into a franchise quarterback, and that the team—with Belichick undoubtedly running the show—has missed on myriad other draft picks and personnel decisions in recent offseasons.
Of course, even if Kraft does decide to "fire" Belichick, the public message will likely be that the two sides decided to part ways mutually. The third-winningest head coach in league history has probably earned that, and it's actually possible both sides have come to that realization during this sorry season and this in fact will become a rare true mutual breakup.
Which could actually come by way of a retirement press conference...
Retire?
3 of 3
This could all become somewhat moot if Belichick simply decides he's had enough. He did once say he wouldn't coach into his 70s. While he's walked that back, stepping away just before his 72nd birthday would still make a lot of sense.
On the other hand, it's no secret Belichick has a lot of pride and is quite consumed by this sport. Will he really want to give it up following what is now guaranteed to be his worst season since 2000? How long before he gets that itch again?
Of course, on that note, it's entirely possible Belichick will pull a Tom Brady or a Rob Gronkowski (or a Bruce Arians, for a coaching comparison—and it's funny how those three ended up together in Tampa) and retire before making a comeback. If that happens, the Patriots will almost certainly be compensated by whichever team he lands with.
So yeah, this story is far from complete. Hope you're ready for weekly—if not daily—doses of Belichick speculation this upcoming winter!
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
