The New England Patriots and Bill Belichick are spending Christmas Eve playing the Denver Broncos. As for next season, there has been a lot of speculation about where Belichick will be when the season starts.
With a 3-11 record, the team is finishing up one of their worst seasons with Belichick as head coach. In his first season in New England (2000), Belichick’s team recorded a 5-11 record. The next season, the Patriots started a run of 19 straight winning seasons, including six Super Bowl championships.
There is no indication that Belichick, who will be 72 in April, will be retiring after the season. He is also the person in charge of making player-personnel decisions for the Patriots.
Will Bill Belichick Leave the Patriots?
NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported in October that Belichick “quietly” agreed to a contract extension in the offseason. There was no indication of when his contract was set to expire.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said, however, that the extension had no bearing on what would happen after the season. Then, earlier this month, NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran reported that the Patriots had made a decision to part ways with Belichick after the team’s October loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany.
Where Would Belichick Go?
When Belichick was with the New York Jets, Patriots owner Robert Kraft gave a first-round pick to the Jets as compensation for hiring the coach. Likewise, Kraft could seek compensation from a team to hire Belichick.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano speculated that the Los Angeles Chargers could be a possible destination for Belichick. He made this statement before the Chargers fired head coach Brandon Staley. Belichick might find Los Angeles to be appealing because of its talented roster, which includes quarterback Justin Herbert.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio speculated earlier in the season that the Washington Commanders could be a possible destination for Belichick. Team owner Josh Harris may look to make a huge hire as the franchise tries to distance itself from the Dan Snyder era.
MORE: Is Bill Belichick the Highest-Paid Coach in the NFL?
There’s also the possibility that Kraft and Belichick decide to stay together for next season and rebuild the Patriots. New England has a strong chance to have a top-five draft pick that could bring in one of the highly regarded quarterbacks.
Chasing Don Shula
There have been indications that Belichick, who has 332 career wins, wants to continue to coach so he can break Don Shula’s record for all-time wins. Belichick enters Sunday only 15 behind Shula’s record of 347 wins.
Belichick might need two more years to pass Shula if the Patriots are unable to win a couple of games at the end of 2023. Belichick already owns the record for most postseason wins and Super Bowl titles by a head coach.
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