When did Bill Belichick know time with Patriots was up?

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick publicly confirmed on Jan. 11 that they "mutually" agreed to part ways after the club missed the playoffs for a third time in four years. 

It appears Belichick may have known of his fate before the start of 2024.

"Sometime in December, I think he knew that this was probably it," Patriots insider Seth Wickersham of ESPN said about Belichick during a chat with Michael Grant of Awful Announcing. "Obviously, his job security had been a topic of conversation all year."

While it was reported in December that Kraft decided to move on from Belichick shortly after New England's 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany on Nov. 12, it was later suggested that the owner and Patriots president Jonathan Kraft could wait until some point in February to announce a final decision about the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach. 

The Krafts didn't need to be in a hurry to begin a search for Belichick's replacement, as it's now known the contract extension that Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo signed last offseason included language that resulted in Mayo immediately becoming the club's next head coach. 

"The Krafts had not made a statement, but it seemed like there were leaks against him," Wickersham added about Belichick. "It seemed like they were coming out of the Kraft inner circle. I think he felt like what he had built was being eroded by ownership. I think that in December is when he knew that he was going to be coaching somewhere else next year."

Belichick turns 72 years old in April but may be close to becoming the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Wherever he lands, he will enter the 2024 season just 15 wins away from setting a new NFL record for career victories earned by a head coach (regular season and postseason combined).