Bill Belichick is widely considered the greatest head coach in NFL history. But that doesn't mean his job is safe with the Patriots. Frustrated over New England's struggles since Tom Brady's departure in 2020, the Patriots longtime owner has had discussions about possibly moving on from Belichick, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer said Wednesday on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd."
"These discussions have taken place," Breer said. "I can tell you for sure, Robert hears the criticism, he hears the anger locally, and people in the building know for a fact that he's hearing the anger from the fanbase.
Breer then added: "I think now we're at the point where ... is this just going to be a flat out firing?"
Breer's report comes after The Athletic reported Oct. 11 that Kraft is not opposed to dismissing the longtime coach if things don't soon improve for the now 1-5 Patriots. "There's a school of thought that suggests Bill Belichick has earned the right to go out on his own accord, that the architect of the greatest dynasty in NFL history can coach in New England as long as he chooses," Jeff Howe reports. "Kraft doesn't subscribe to it."
Belichick's all-time achievements aren't in question. With six Super Bowl wins, an NFL-record 31 career playoff victories and 330 total wins, few have come close to matching his run atop the Patriots, which began in 2000. But New England hasn't won a postseason matchup since 2018, when the team advanced to Super Bowl LIII against the Rams, and has gone just 25-26 since Brady, his future Hall of Fame quarterback, left for the Buccaneers in 2020.
"Kraft likes to remind people he grew up as a Patriots fan during the organization's darkest days," Howe writes. "But that doesn't mean he has patience to endure more of them. On multiple occasions in recent years, he has lamented the team's lack of a postseason victory in the post-Brady era. ... Kraft has grown frustrated, if not downright angry, over this shortage of success."
Things have been especially trying in recent weeks, with the Patriots starting 1-4 and being outscored 72-3 in their last two outings. They'll try to rebound in Sunday's Week 6 matchup with the Raiders, who are coached by ex-Patriots assistant Josh McDaniels.
