NFL Rumors: Bill Belichick’s Patriots Tenure ‘Nearing An End’

Sunday very might well have marked Bill Belichick's final game as New England Patriots head coach.

It was a disastrous 2023 season for the Patriots, who finished 4-13 and now are set to pick third in the 2024 NFL Draft. The hellacious campaign also extended the string of seasons without a playoff win in New England, where Robert Kraft hasn't seen a postseason triumph since the franchise's Super Bowl-winning 2018 slate.

And that might be enough for the Patriots owner, who reportedly is prepared to make a coaching change for the first time since 2000.

"The belief of many that I talk to around here is that Bill Belichick's time is nearing an end," ESPN's Mike Reiss reported Monday morning on "SportsCenter." "But until that final meeting takes place, his future -- that decision -- is still hanging in the balance."

Reiss' report was in lockstep with a few others from prominent NFL insiders in Week 18. FOX Sports' Jay Glazer claimed Belichick was "gone" once the Patriots wrapped up the season, while ESPN's Adam Schefter reported New England brass was "trending" toward parting ways with the longtime head coach.

How the Patriots might sever ties with Belichick remains unclear, though. And at least one New England legend believes Kraft and company should cash in on the asset that is the future Pro Football Hall of Fame coach.