Bill Belichick's future with the Patriots is not in question, experts say
Bill Belichick will remain the head coach of the New England Patriots for the remainder of this season. Although the team has a record of two wins and eight losses, Belichick could have secured his place in the franchise at least between now and mid-January.
"My understanding is that Robert Kraft, the owner, is not inclined to fire Bill Belichick midseason, which is unbelievable and amazing that we are discussing this," reported Ian Rapoport, NFL insider, before the game in Germany between the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts.
Rapoport recalled that Belichick has a current contract with the Patriots, but if he left the franchise for any reason, Kraft would ask for millionaire compensation from any other team that wanted to grant him a contract.
According to the analyst, it would also make no sense at this time for the team to let go of the person who has been their head coach for the last 23 years, especially since they do not have his replacement ready.
"If you're going to fire him, what does that actually do? Does it give you a jump on a process when you may have his successor already in the building in Jerod Mayo?" the expert questioned.
A lot of reasons why it wouldn't make sense to move on from Bill Belichick, at least during the season.
Belichick's possible future
However, other versions say that the veteran head coach's future is on the line. Some think Robert Kraft could make a final decision during the team's bye in Week 11.
The streak of three losses in a row against the Miami Dolphins, the Washington Commanders, and this Sunday against the Colts at Frankfurt Stadium could be the final nails in Belichick's coffin, according to Ben Volin, an analyst for the Boston Globe.
"Based on my conversations, I don't think it's 100 percent that Belichick finishes out this season,"Volin said a couple of weeks ago.
The expert considered that the games heading to Frankfurt would define Belichick's destiny. "I think there's a chance the Krafts could make the move in the bye week and install Jerod Mayo as the interim coach for the final seven games."
What remains of the season for the Patriots
With their 6-10 loss to the Colts on Sunday in Germany, the Patriots were left with a 2-8 record and in last place in the Eastern Division of the American Conference, far from Robert Kraft's aspirations for this year.
"It's really disappointing, and I had hoped that things would be a lot better as I know our fan base did. I hope today is a chance to reset and make this a much better year. This isn't what we were expecting to happen this year," Kraft declared a few minutes before the game against the Colts.
Now that only a miracle could put them in the postseason, the Patriots owner was left with no room for maneuver. Will he decide to stick with Belichick regardless? We'll find out by looking at the MetLife Stadium sidelines in two weeks.
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