For much of this century, the New England Patriots have been the gold standard in the NFL. They were the franchise that every other franchise around the league wanted to emulate and become.

Since Bill Belichick took over as head coach in 2000, the Patriots have won the Super Bowl six times and made nine appearances overall. They have won the AFC East crown 17 times over that time as well, producing some of the most dominant stretches the league has ever seen.

Having Tom Brady, the greatest quarterback of all time, under center for the majority of that time certainly helped. The Patriots have not been the same since he left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in free agency in 2020 and Belichick has a losing record in his head coaching career without Brady under center.

Despite that, there is no debate that Belichick is among the best coaches to ever grace the NFL. But, as the old saying goes, all good things must come to an end sometime. For Belichick and the Patriots, that time could be the end of the 2023 season.

According to the Boston Globe, via JPA Football on Twitter, 2023 is a make-or-break season for Belichick. There are people within his inner circle concerned about his job security as tension grows between him and owner Robert Kraft.

This is certainly a shocking development. Should it be true, there is a chance that a new regime comes to New England in 2024 with Belichick being out the door. While certainly a surprise to hear, the franchise does have to prepare for life after Belichick eventually.

Just as with Brady, a time will come in which it is appropriate to move on from Belichick. A third losing season in four years would cost plenty of head coaches their job; if you add in tensions with the owner, their chances of surviving are even slimmer.

On top of those rumors, Belichick turned 71 years old in April. He could be contemplating retirement soon based on that alone as Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks is the only head coach in the NFL older than the Patriots’ head honcho.