Bill Belichick rumors: Patriots may have already made decision to move on from coach after 2023, per report

Here's what Belichick said when asked about the report

With Bill Belichick struggling through the worst season of his Patriots coaching career, there's been rampant speculation over the past few weeks that his time in New England could soon be coming to an end.

Although Robert Kraft has stayed silent on the topic of Belichick's future over the past few months, it appears that the Patriots owner might have already made a decision about what's going to happen with his head coach. According to Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston, Kraft has already decided that he's going to move on from Belichick and he apparently made that decision after watching his Patriots lose to the Colts 10-6 in a game that was played in Frankfurt, Germany, on Nov. 12. 

"When they came out of Germany, conversations I had that week made it very clear that a decision was made and 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 explained.

Asked Wednesday about the report, Belichick sidestepped the question.

"I'm getting ready for Kansas City," he said, referring to Sunday's matchup with the Chiefs.

It was reported back in mid-October that Kraft was already having discussions about moving on from Belichick, so it wouldn't be a total surprise to learn that a loss in Germany less than a month later was what eventually pushed him over the edge. The Germany game meant a lot to Kraft, who had been pushing for the Patriots to play a game in the country for more than a decade. 

Although Kraft hasn't specifically talked about Belichick's future since the start of the season, he did make it very clear in Germany that he was unhappy with how the season was going.

"This is our thirtieth year that I've had the privilege of owning this team, and I've never been 2-7," Kraft said, via PFT. "So it's really disappointing and I hoped that things would be a lot better, as I know our fan base did."

Even though Belichick recently signed an extension with the Patriots, Curren doesn't think that will be enough to prevent Kraft from moving on, especially since the extension only runs through the 2024 season.  

"It's only through next year, so that would not be an impediment to them changing course," Curran said. 

Even if the Patriots were somehow able to win out, that likely won't be enough to save Belichick's job. 

"It had gone too far," Curran said. "The Germany game, the Commanders game, the Saints game, all huge, marquee games. And then there was the Chargers game after that. Just because they won last week in Pittsburgh in prime time, I don't think it quells anything."

The Patriots pulled off a huge 21-18 upset over the Steelers in Week 14, but that only improved them to 3-10. They'd have to go 3-1 over their final four games if they want to avoid their worst record ever under Belichick, which came back in 2000 when the Patriots went 5-11 during his first year with the team. 

Of course, Belichick quickly righted the ship after that first year and went on to produce one of the most legendary runs in NFL history. From 2001 thru 2019, the Patriots played in nine Super Bowls, winning six of them. They also won the AFC East 17 times over those 19 seasons. 

At some point, all good things must come to an end, though, and that appears to be where Belichick and the Patriots are headed. Curran did note that a parting of ways could involve Belichick being traded to another team. If the 71-year-old still wants to coach, there will almost certainly be a team out there willing to make a deal for a six-time Super Bowl winner.