Peter King Offers ‘Gut Feeling’ On Bill Belichick’s Patriots Future

It's hard to fathom, but Bill Belichick's days with the New England Patriots could be numbered.

Despite a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on "Thursday Night Football," the Patriots have fallen on hard times in recent years under Belichick's watch, especially this season with New England sporting an atrocious 3-10 record.

That could lead Patriots owner Robert Kraft to make a coaching change this offseason and NBC Sports' Peter King feels a split between Belichick and the Patriots is the most likely scenario this offseason.

"My gut feeling is Robert Kraft and Bill Belichick are going to create a slightly tense, united front," King said to Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio. "Kraft is going to thank Belichick for everything and Belichick is going to say he wants to keep coaching."

Even though Belichick will turn 72 in April with an already long and decorated coaching career under his belt, King believes he has one motivating factor to stick on an NFL sideline.

"(Beating the Steelers) was Bill Belichick's 332nd career victory, including playoffs. That puts him 15 wins behind Don Shula, which means he's got to win 16 games now to be the winningest coach of all-time," King said. "... To think that that record doesn't mean the world to him, I think you'd probably be kidding yourself. I'm not saying he coaches just to break records. But I think he believes that it would be a pretty cool thing after the team things that he's accomplished. The Super Bowl with the Giants as defensive coordinator, the six Super Bowls with the Patriots. I think he thinks, 'Ok, I'm going to get an individual record...that may never be broken.'"

King could see Belichick coaching for either the Los Angeles Chargers or Washington Commanders next season, but both teams would need to fire their respective head coaches first.

Either way, King believes Belichick won't be coaching the Patriots next season and will part ways on pretty good terms with the organization he has spent over two decades with.

"I think at the end of the day, Kraft takes a very deep breath and thanks Belichick for the memories and they reach some sort of amicable financial settlement," King said. "Kraft may even just give Belichick everything. Who knows. I don't know what will happen. But I think they will part more amicably than not."