Patriots Rumors: Bill Belichick 'Quietly Agreed to a Lucrative Multi-Year' Contract

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick "quietly agreed" to a multiyear extension with the team this past offseason, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

This report comes days after The MMQB's Albert Breer said on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that team owner Robert Kraft has discussed the direction in which the franchise would go once Belichick moves on. Breer followed up on The Rich Eisen Show to clarify that doesn't mean any coaching change is imminent.

Many are beginning to wonder whether New England is approaching the point where a new voice is required on the sideline. At 1-5, the Patriots are on pace to miss the playoffs for the third time in the four seasons since Tom Brady left as a free agent.

The extent to which the franchise is going backward raises questions over whether Belichick is the right person to lead the kind of rebuild that seemingly lies ahead.

The 71-year-old hasn't done a great job of developing Mac Jones to this point.

Perhaps the 2021 first-round pick isn't good enough to be a franchise quarterback, but he hasn't exactly been put in a position to thrive. The decision to make Matt Patricia the de facto offensive coordinator in 2022 was puzzling at the time and only looked worse in retrospect. Equally head-scratching is how New England has approached the receiving corps, both in terms of the draft and free agency.

If you're USC's Caleb Williams or North Carolina's Drake Maye, two of the best QBs eligible for the 2024 NFL draft, the idea of landing with the Patriots may not be all that enticing right now.

Then there are the difficulties that might come if Belichick is actually willing to cede some influence. The Athletic's Mike Sando spoke to an NFL executive who pondered whether some front-office and/or candidates might be hesitant to come aboard.

"Who would take a job in personnel there and think that they have real power?" the exec said. "How do you get somebody? I'm wondering if that is why they ended up with Patricia and Judge a year ago, and Bill O'Brien now. Maybe nobody else wanted the jobs."

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio argued that "the new contract guarantees nothing" as it relates to Belichick's future.

If he's fired and takes another coaching job, then his salary with his new team would offset the money he'd be owed by New England. The Patriots would be off the hook entirely if he retires.

The only thing the extension might have achieved is making it more expensive for Kraft to jettison the future Hall of Famer.