Patriots Rumors: Belichick decision made, shots at Mac Jones, emotional Tom Brady

Patriots Rumors: Bill Belichick will be fired after the 2023 season

What the Patriots plan to do with head coach and general manager Bill Belichick after this season has been a hot topic of debate and conversation for some time. But now one team insider is offering what appears to be a concrete decision that's been made.

Bill Belichick will be fired after the 2023 season.

Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston reported early this week that owner Robert Kraft and the Patriots brass made a decision following their game in Germany that they will move on from Belichick and hit one of the most dramatic resets in NFL history at the conclusion of this year.

Belichick has been the head coach and GM in New England for more than two decades now, getting hired after a stint as a Jets assistant back in 2000. His accomplishments have been legendary, winning eight Super Bowls, most notably with the help of Brady as his quarterback.

Since Brady's departure after the 2019 season, though, Belichick and the Patriots have not enjoyed nearly the same level of success... in fact, one could call it a failure, especially by the previous standard set. The Pats have just one winning season since Brady left (a 10-7 mark followed by a loss to the Bills in the wild card round in 2021) and are 3-9 in the 2023 season.

Belichick's strength as a head coach may not have faded, but his team-building as a front office decision-maker does appear to have suffered. Thus, that's likely a substantial part of why the Patriots are making the shocking call to fire him when the season ends.

The two big questions will be if the 71-year-old Belichick will look for another job or retire, but also where the Patriots will turn next. We'll likely have to wait until this decision regarding Belichick is final to have any clarity on either of those matters, however.