Robert Kraft Open To Keeping Bill Belichick With Reduced Front Office Role?

NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, citing a source he thinks has a good bead on the situation, says he’s unsure if this is really the end for Patriots HC Bill Belichick in New England. 

He says Belichick and owner Robert Kraft still need to have their official sitdown meeting to discuss the future, and his sense is Kraft would prefer not to fire Belichick. 

Garafolo notes if Belichick is willing to take a step back from being in charge of personnel and focus just on coaching the team, that could be enough for Kraft to sign off on keeping him with the goal of Belichick breaking the NFL record for most coaching wins in New England.

This is consistent with other recent reporting from others at NFL Media that Kraft is unlikely to outright fire Belichick unless his hand is forced.

While the Patriots’ struggles this season have led to a widespread sense that this is it for Belichick in New England, there is still uncertainty about how Kraft and Belichick will navigate the upcoming weeks and the decisions ahead. 

Belichick, 71, got his start coaching in the NFL in 1975 with the then-Baltimore Colts. He had assistant jobs with the Lions and Broncos before landing with the Giants, where he eventually rose to defensive coordinator under legendary HC Bill Parcells. 

The Browns hired Belichick as head coach in 1991 and he was in the post for five years before being fired. He rejoined Parcells as an assistant with the Patriots and left to go with him to the Jets the following year.

He was slated to replace Parcells as head coach of the Jets in 2000 but infamously resigned and was hired by the Patriots, who had to give up a first-round pick to the Jets as compensation. Belichick has been in New England ever since, winning six Super Bowls in 24 years. 

For his career, Belichick has a record of 302-163 over 29 seasons (.655 W/L percentage) and has eight Super Bowl rings, six of them as head coach of the Patriots. He’s a three-time winner of the AP Coach of the Year award. 

We’ll have more on the Patriots and Belichick as the news is available.