Patriots rumors: Expert predicts Bill Belichick trade, Mac Jones frustrating everyone, failed star benched

Patriots Rumors: Bill Belichick trade could be logical conclusion for Hall of Fame coach's tenure

Speaking of Bill Belichick's hot seat...

The Patriots negotiated a new contract with Belichick during the offseason, but it is not expected to extend beyond 2024. At this point, the vibes in New England are too miserable to ignore. Belichick has never been one for copious amounts of losing, and the Patriots probably wouldn't mind a hard reset.

There's no denying Belichick's résumé, but we approaching the Doc Rivers Paradox. He's an absolute all-time great coach, but is Doc Rivers a good head coach right now, in 2023? Clearly, the Sixers aren't so convinced. Belichick will forever have a place in NFL lore, but it's clear the Patriots are not executing at the necessary level right now.

Mike Florio of NBC Sports penned a probing exploration of the Bill Belichick endgame and came to the conclusion that a trade might be the best way out for both sides.

"Any team looking for a coach after the season could try to make that deal. Which creates what could be a game of chicken of sorts after the season ends, with teams potentially interested in Belichick waiting for him to become a free agent and the Patriots waiting for teams potentially interested in Belichick to call."

Teams could wait for Belichick to hit free agency, but that would require a "Rooney Rule-compliant" search, as Florio states. NFL teams are not allowed to jump straight to hiring a white, male candidate without sufficiently scouring the market and considering minority candidates. That's how it should be, but NFL front offices tend to circumvent the rules when possible, and Belichick's reputation is such that a team will want to hire him — and only him — without an interview.

Florio pitches a possible timeline in which the Patriots and Belichick's next team work discreetly behind the scenes to hammer out the compensation, both for the trade and for Belichick's next contract, before a deal is officially submitted to the league. Rather than being fired and re-hired, Belichick would simply be traded. The Patriots don't lose him for nothing, and his next team doesn't have to jump through the necessary (and some would say, important) hoops.

"The compensation to the Patriots would be pre-negotiated. Belichick’s contract would be pre-negotiated. Then, at the right time, the first domino would be flicked, with a phone call from Belichick’s next team to the Patriots."

The odds of Belichick changing teams next offseason skyrocket with each successive loss. He's one of the best ever, but his Patriots' tenure is about to come to a very sad, rather embarrassing conclusion. The question is, does Belichick really want to keep going with another team?