Another insider questions if Patriots' Bill Belichick would accept trade

It's widely believed that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft will look to land some compensation by trading legendary head coach Bill Belichick this offseason. 

NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk isn't sure Belichick would go along with such a plan. 

"He’s under contract for another year, at a number undoubtedly north of $20M," Florio noted about Belichick on Thursday. "If he sticks around and coaches the team, he’ll earn the money and, after the 2024 season ends, become a free agent. If he digs in his heels...Belichick either gets all the money followed by a one-way ticket to free agency or he gets his ticket to free agency now, if he’s fired. In contrast, if he goes along with a plan that positions the Patriots for compensation, Belichick gains nothing."

NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated offered a similar take last month about Belichick possibly forcing Kraft to fire the 71-year-old, and that was before it was reported earlier this week that Kraft made a final call about moving on from the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach after New England lost to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany on Nov. 12. 

"Someone blabbed, intentionally or accidentally, while Belichick still had work to do," Florio said about the recent Kraft story. "It won’t do anything to get Belichick to do something he’s not required to do, and he’s not required to go along with a mutual parting that reserves for the Patriots the right to get something from his next team."

Belichick has been linked in rumors with the Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Chargers. Logic suggests he wouldn't want any club to lose a draft pick in exchange for his services, and ESPN's Dan Graziano wrote for a piece published Wednesday that he thinks Kraft will make some attempt "to honor [Belichick's] accomplishments rather than just unceremoniously boot him out the door" in January. 

If knowledgeable individuals such as Florio and Breer are correct, Kraft may essentially have to pay Belichick to go away as soon as the NFL's "Black Monday" so the Patriots can officially begin the process of hiring a new head coach as quickly as possible.