When Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots, was asked about his future with the team on Wednesday, he dodged the question. "I'm getting ready for Kansas City," he said.

The Patriots were supposed to host the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on December 18, a very eye-catching period, but the game was moved to December 17 and replaced by Philadelphia Eagles vs. Seattle Seahawks.

Such a change was understandable since most fans would want to watch a relatively close contest rather than a champion candidate dominate a 3-10 team, which the Patriots are. After the Cincinnati Bengals beat the Indianapolis Colts 34-14 on December 10, the Patriots already said goodbye to the playoffs this season, the third time in the four seasons since their legendary quarterback (QB) Tom Brady left as a free agent in 2020.

The Patriots defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-18 on December 7 to end their five-game losing streak. Robert Kraft, owner of the Patriots, told "Patriots All-Access" that he finally was able to sleep and "feel good."

NBC Sports Boston on Monday cited an anonymous source saying that the Patriots have decided to part ways with Belichick after this season and that the decision was made following the 10-6 loss to the Colts on November 12.

Belichick, 71, is in his 24th season of coaching the Patriots. It is the longest tenure for a head coach with one NFL team. He has led them to 332 wins in total (including both the regular seasons and the playoffs), only second to Don Shula's 347 wins. Meanwhile, Belichick won six Super Bowl titles – all with Brady – in the Patriots, more than any other head coach.

"Look, I'd like him to break Don Shula's record, but I'm not looking for any of our players to get great stats. We're about winning and doing whatever we can to win. That's what our focus is now," Kraft said in March.