Patriots Rumors: New Details About Robert Kraft’s Bill Belichick Plan

A late-season run could ruin the New England Patriots’ chances of landing an elite quarterback prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft.

But it also could save Bill Belichick’s job, according to a report Saturday from NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

Ahead of New England’s Week 15 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, Rapoport reported Belichick’s fate “has not yet been decided.”

“Sources say not only has owner Robert Kraft not come to a firm conclusion on what will happen next with his head-coaching situation,” Rapoport wrote, “but the way New England finishes could go a long way in determining what’s next.”

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The Patriots enter Sunday’s game at Gillette Stadium with an AFC-worst 3-10 record. They officially were eliminated from playoff contention last week, extending their streak of seasons without a playoff win to five, and are on track to land the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming draft.

NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran this week reported Kraft decided after New England’s ugly Week 10 loss in Germany that Belichick would not return in 2024, but Rapoport pushed back on that narrative.

“If they beat the Chiefs on Sunday and run off a string of wins,” Rapoport wrote, “that could lead to the kind of hope and good feeling that can change minds and make an owner who believed his team should be a playoff team feel like it’s headed in the right direction.

“If New England suffers a performance like the Chargers did against the Raiders before head coach Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco were fired on Friday, that could solidify minds as well, but in the other direction.”

And if the Patriots do wind up firing, trading or otherwise parting ways with Belichick, he might not be a Black Monday casualty.

“Either way, expect a period of evaluation when the regular season ends, with no immediate conclusion on Belichick coming,” Rapoport wrote.

Waiting to decide would be a risky move, as it could limit the pool of potential replacements. Kraft endorsed current linebackers coach Jerod Mayo as his preferred Belichick successor last offseason, but recent reports suggested the Patriots owner might be wavering from that plan.

The Patriots, who beat the Pittsburgh Steelers last Thursday to snap a five-game losing skid, entered the weekend as eight-point underdogs against Patrick Mahomes and the defending Super Bowl-winning Chiefs. They’ll close out their schedule with road games against the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, followed by a home matchup with the New York Jets in Week 18.