Plugged-In Patriots Reporter Adds Context To Bill Belichick Contract News

Perhaps there’s more to Bill Belichick’s reported contract extension than what meets the eye.

NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on Sunday morning reported Belichick agreed to a “lucrative” and “multi-year” extension this past offseason. Rapoport specifically said Belichick is now “locked up long-term” in New England.

The development has caused some to question how long term that might be, however.

NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran, a longtime and plugged-in Patriots reporter, shared his own theory shortly before the Patriots kicked off their Week 7 game against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium.

“My understanding is lucrative, well, of course it’s lucrative. It’s Bill Belichick, he makes a lot of dough. Multi-year, that simply could mean 2023 and 2024 for instance,” Curran said on NBC Sports Boston’s pregame coverage. “So, that extension would satisfy in some ways, perhaps a timeline for Jerod Mayo.”

It has been speculated that Mayo could take over for Belichick. Patriots owner Robert Kraft previously said he hoped Mayo would take over as head coach, and the Kraft family reportedly talked Mayo out of interviewing for a head coaching job last offseason.

“So, I would be stunned, I would be amazed, I would be dumbstruck if Bill Belichick’s lucrative extension ran past 2024,” Curran said.

Curran, much like Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, also questioned the timing of the report. Belichick’s future with the organization has made recent headlines with New England continuing to struggle.

Among the headlines was that Kraft reportedly has had discussions about moving on from Belichick after this season.