Patriots reporter names Robert Kraft’s 'ideal' Bill Belichick solution

New England Patriots beat reporter Zack Cox of NESN believes team owner Robert Kraft could look to make a significant change while attempting to hold onto head coach Bill Belichick this offseason. 

"The way I see it, Robert Kraft’s ideal path forward with Belichick would be keeping him on board as head coach but hiring someone else to take over control of the Patriots' personnel," Cox wrote for a piece published Friday.

After it was previously said that Kraft had already decided to part ways with Belichick following the ongoing season, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported last weekend that the owner has "not come to a firm conclusion on what will happen next with his head-coaching situation." While Belichick has been linked in stories with the Los Angeles Chargers, Dallas Cowboys and Chicago Bears, the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach who turns 72 years old this coming April reportedly is under contract through the 2024 campaign and may not want to leave New England unless he's fired. 

Belichick is not required to accept a trade to a different franchise. 

"Belichick still is a very good coach and game planner — replacing him probably would mean accepting a downgrade in those areas — but his roster and coaching staff decisions torpedoed the team in the post-Tom Brady era," Cox continued. "...However, I also cannot envision Belichick accepting what amounts to a demotion. Maybe he recognizes his repeated roster-building missteps and decides it’s best for both the team and his own pursuit of Don Shula’s wins record for him to just focus on coaching. But that seems highly unlikely."

Cox added that his "money would be on" a "mutual parting of ways" announced next month. 

Per Pro Football Network, Belichick trails Shula by just 15 wins (regular season and postseason combined) for the record in all-time career victories. It's looking more and more likely that Belichick will have to continue his chase of Shula's mark with a different franchise next year.