Not long ago, the thought of Robert Kraft moving on from Bill Belichick was asinine. As arguably the greatest head coach in NFL history, Belichick appeared to have a lifetime pass with the New England Patriots given all he's done for the organization.
Suddenly, that scenario doesn't seem all that farfetched. The Patriots have been mediocre at best since Tom Brady's departure and Belichick has been under scrutiny for how he has handled his coaching staff, particularly on offense.
Curran: Boring and undisciplined isn't a great combo, Patriots
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Kraft made it clear last offseason he was unhappy with the team's three-year playoff winless streak. Entering Week 14, the Patriots do not have a postseason spot.
Our Tom E. Curran asked fans whether it's time for the Patriots owner to consider a coaching change. Nearly half of the respondents voted "Yes. But he won't." About 21.3 percent advised Curran to "Delete Your Account." In other words, fans are conflicted.
Here were the full poll results:
On a brand new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast, Curran caught up with ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio to get his thoughts on a possible life without Belichick in Foxboro.
Patriots Talk: How much patience will Robert Kraft have for regressing Patriots? | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
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"I think the way it would happen is, Bill Belichick would begin to sense that they don't want him there anymore and he would start looking at other opportunities and they would let him go," Florio said. "I think that's how the end will come. Because there's going to be another team out there. If he still wants to keep coaching, there's gonna be another team out there that would take him in a heartbeat, that would pay him what he's making, that would give up a first-round pick plus to get him. So I don't think you ever have to fire Bill Belichick, you just have to make it known that Bill Belichick's available for one of these other teams."
Also discussed in the episode: Curran lays out the case as to why Belichick may be more on the hot seat than initially thought. Perry and Curran debate how Kraft will react to another underperforming season from Belichick and the Patriots. Florio gives a national perspective on the Belichick-Patriots situation. And Florio shares his theory on why Belichick has handled the coaching situation the way he has.
Check out the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast on the NBC Sports Boston Podcast Network, or watch on YouTube.