We’re Getting Conflicting Reports About Bill Belichick’s Contract Extension

So, what’s the deal with Bill Belichick’s contract extension?

The details really matter in this story. And right now, there’s conflicting information coming from a pair of top insiders.

It all started Sunday morning, when NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported the New England Patriots gave Belichick a “lucrative” and “multi-year” extension last offseason. The news arrived amid mounting rumors of Belichick potentially losing his job if the Patriots fail to turn things around in 2023.

“Sources say Bill Belichick during the offseason quietly agreed to terms on a lucrative, multi-year new contract,” Rapoport said on NFL Network. “His contract, one of the most closely held secrets in New England. That said, I think it’s fair to say there was some, at least, uncertainty or intrigue surrounding him. Now, contractually, he is locked up long-term. … This at least adds some context with the Patriots committing to the greatest coach in history long-term.”

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At first glance, it was hard to shake the feeling that Rapoport’s report came from Belichick’s camp with the intention of quelling talk about a firing. But NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran immediately speculated the deal won’t preclude Robert Kraft from replacing Belichick if he wants to.

As fate would have it, Belichick and the Patriots then earned a throwback-feeling home victory over the Buffalo Bills. Afterward, Curran offered more concrete reporting on Belichick’s contract.

“My understanding remains that this multi-year only includes 2023 and 2024,” Curran said during his latest “Patriots Talk” podcast episode. “So, there’s your two years. Extension not going into the back of this decade. Additionally, when we talk about that contract, I think Bill Belichick is still very much on the same notice Robert Kraft had him on in March. If the team is not headed in the right direction, then personal gain and personal satisfaction and statistics will be trumped by overall performance of the team.

“So, even if there is a 2024 season on the contract, if the Patriots are not headed in the right direction, that would not preclude ownership from making that hard decision. That’s what I understand to be the case right now. … Patriots are not going to be constrained, in my understanding, by any contract extension. Nor is this contract extension giving Bill any kind of (assurances) that he’s here for the long term.”

That brings us to Monday afternoon when Rapoport stood by his initial reporting while seemingly rebuking Curran’s claims about the timeline.

“Bill Belichick and the Patriots earlier this offseason, very quietly, agreed to terms on a lucrative, multi-year new contract for Bill Belichick — locking him in for the next several years,” Rapoport said on NFL Network.

Obviously, there’s a big difference between a contract that runs through just next season and one that runs for “several years.” The real truth, whatever it is, surely will play a big role in Belichick’s Patriots future.

One thing we know for certain: Belichick absolutely will not talk about his contract publicly.