Patriots Staffer Sheds Light On Secrecy Of Bill Belichick Situation

According to ESPN's Mike Reiss, there was a "tense" environment at the Patriots facility leading up to Sunday's game at Gillette Stadium.

That reported atmosphere doesn't have much -- if anything -- to do with New England's season finale. The Patriots have been out of playoff contention for weeks, and all that's left to be determined going into Week 18 is where inside the top five the organization will make its first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The uneasiness is largely due to Bill Belichick, whose future in Foxboro, Mass. is uncertain. And according to one New England staffer, no one employed at One Patriot Place, save for maybe team brass, knows what's in store for the longtime head coach.

"No one has any idea of what's going to happen. There's not a soul in the building that does," the staffer told Reiss.

That quote can be interpreted in two ways. One, team ownership has an ironclad lock on its Belichick decision and has managed to avoid any real information leaks. However, there seemingly is a chance the Krafts haven't yet reached a verdict and will enter Monday's reported meeting with an open mind.

It's certainly a complicated matter for the powers that be in New England, which is why it reportedly might take "weeks" for the group to make a call on Belichick.