NFL Rumors: ‘Rumblings’ Bill Belichick Is Considering Leaving Patriots?

Patriots fans have been so consumed with talk of Tom Brady’s future that they seemingly have overlooked the status of Bill Belichick.

Well, that soon might change.

Following New England’s wild-card loss to the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, Boston Sports Journal’s Greg Bedard speculated about Belichick’s future with the Patriots. And while Bedard does not definitively report that Belichick could be on his way out, his speculation nevertheless should raise some eyebrows.

From his column published Saturday night:

“There have been increasing NFL rumors that perhaps Belichick is not as wedded to Foxborough as many of us, certainly me, thought. Is Belichick setting up a final test on whether he has complete control of the football operations? I think Belichick would be OK with Brady being back, but not at the expense of the rest of the team. There are four openings out there and they won’t last forever. If Belichick is contemplating a move, it would have to come soon. There’s no solid intel, but some rumblings I hadn’t heard before. So I don’t rule anything out.

“For the record, my money is still on Bill and Tom being back together again for Year 21.”

Of course, rumors about Belichick are nothing new. The New York tabloids have been trying to tie the Patriots head coach to the Giants for the past few years.

But Bedard is among the most tied-in reporters covering the Patriots, and rarely is someone who engages in reckless speculation. As such, his mere mentioning of these “rumblings” is newsworthy.

As for Brady, the 42-year-old quarterback remains the No. 1 storyline entering a fascinating offseason in Foxboro.