Patriots Rumors: Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft Expected to Meet Again amid Future Buzz | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick met with team owner Robert Kraft on Monday, but they reportedly have more to discuss.

According to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, “the expectation is they’ll meet at least once more” so they can “discuss the direction of the franchise and whether Belichick will continue to be part of it.”

The Patriots went 4-13 this season, the team’s worst record while Kraft has been the owner. New England ranked 31st in the NFL in scoring at 13.9 points per game, which Howe noted is the team’s worst ranking since the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002.

However, the belief is that Kraft has yet to reach a decision on Belichick’s future. While a previous report stated he was leaning toward parting ways with Belichick in the second half of the season, Howe stated that “the sources haven’t dismissed the possibility Kraft could change his mind if Belichick delivers a strong plan for the future.”

If the two sides decide to part ways, sources told Howe that Belichick “would likely prefer to find another head coaching opportunity rather than retire.” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini named the Atlanta Falcons as a “team to watch” if Belichick becomes available following the firing of Arthur Smith on Sunday night.

Since Tom Brady departed New England after the 2019 season, the team has gone 29-38. However, Howe noted that despite the tumult of the last few years, “the ideal situation for all sides would be for Belichick to break Don Shula’s all-time wins record before retiring as a member of the Patriots.” At 333 career victories including the playoffs, Belichick needs 15 wins to pass Shula’s record.

It will be interesting to see if Belichick is able to convince Kraft that he’s the right person to continue leading the Patriots.