A plugged-in Patriots reporter believes New England fans are on the verge of witnessing Bill Belichick’s penultimate season as the head coach in Foxboro.
With six Super Bowl championships under his belt, there’s basically only one marquee accolade left for Belichick to possess. The future Hall of Famer is in striking distance of the NFL’s all-time coaching wins record, a mark currently owned by the legendary Don Shula. Belichick only trails the former Miami Dolphins head coach by 18 victories (including playoffs) following the Patriots’ 8-9 campaign in 2022.
Forecasting improvements in Foxboro across the next two seasons, NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran sees Belichick surpassing Shula at some point in 2024. And after that campaign, Curran predicts Belichick will ride off into the sunset and be replaced by an internal candidate in New England.
“I do think they’ll find success with (Bill) O’Brien, and by the end of 2024, he will have caught Shula,” Curran said on NBCSB’s “Patriots Talk” podcast, as transcribed by Audacy. “After 2024, he will move upstairs — this is full-on predictions, not guesses — he’ll move onto more of an advisory role and Jerod Mayo will take over as head coach.”
Curran has reasons to be confident in his prediction, especially the Mayo portion. Considering Mayo recently turned down opportunities outside of New England even though his title with the Patriots might not change, the former linebacker probably was given some assurances about his future with the organization. Mayo has been heralded as a rising head-coaching candidate in recent years, and his development and Belichick’s final years at the helm could ultimately line up perfectly for the Patriots.
The football world probably will have to exclusively work with speculation and guesses like Curran’s as it projects Belichick’s future, though. Don’t count on the perpetually tight-lipped coach to provide any details on his own situation in 2023.
