Patriots Reportedly Could Replace Bill Belichick After Germany Game

Is Bill Belichick about to coach his last game with the New England Patriots?

That scenario feels highly unlikely, but the hypothetical might not be completely off the table. Sunday’s demoralizing home loss to the Washington Commanders dropped the Patriots to 2-7 on the season, and New England soon will travel to Germany with seemingly no morale.

The Patriots obviously no longer are competing for a playoff spot, but the battle with the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt apparently still means a great deal to New England ownership. And according to The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin, a loss overseas might be the final straw for Robert Kraft and company.

“Based on my conversations, I don’t think it’s 100% that Belichick finishes out this season,” Volin wrote in a column published Friday. “These next two games before the bye are huge, particularly the Germany game, which is practically the team’s Super Bowl for the Krafts. If Belichick loses at home to the Commanders and then to the Colts, and comes home from Germany with a 2-8 record, 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.”

Belichick shouldn’t have the option to hold onto the Patriots head-coaching job as long as he wants it. But canning Belichick midseason would be a borderline slap in the face to a future Hall of Fame coach who helped the organization amass great success. The 71-year-old’s body of work in Foxboro, Mass. shouldn’t give him complete immunity, but it should grant him the opportunity to at least finish out the season.

But once this miserable campaign in New England is over, it might be time for the Patriots to find a new leader. And the Kraft family might already have their next head coach in mind, although it would require a swing for the fences.