Patriots three-time Super Bowl champion reveals huge Bill Belichick prediction

Former New England Patriots safety, three-time Super Bowl champion and current NFL analyst Devin McCourty explained during a Wednesday appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show" why he doesn't believe New England's season finale against the New York Jets this Sunday will be the last time Bill Belichick serves as head coach of the Patriots. 

"...I think as you look at this team, I think a lot of times people always talk about — from an ownership standpoint, they want to see their team progress, right? When they fire coaches in the middle of the year they say, 'Well, we just looked at the team and it just doesn’t look like it’s progressing or it’s getting better,'" McCourty said about the situation, per Patriots beat reporter Zack Cox of NESN. "And when you look at the Patriots, it looks like it’s getting better. Like, you can’t say that it doesn’t."

McCourty isn't the first noteworthy person to suggest Patriots owner Robert Kraft likely noticed a team that fell to 2-10 on the season won two of its past four games and played tough in a 27-17 loss to the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs and in this past Sunday's 27-21 defeat at the Buffalo Bills. 

It was reported Wednesday that some Patriots staff members "are bracing for change" knowing the club will miss the playoffs for the third time in four years, but Kraft hasn't yet publicly confirmed that change will involve parting ways with Belichick.

"I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but if you asked me right now, sitting at this point, I don’t feel like you walk away from this season and say, 'Hey, if we just replace our head coach, we’ll be better,'" McCourty said during the segment. "I think that would be a really hard statement to make." 

Some have mentioned that Kraft could approach Belichick about an executive coming in to assist with personnel decisions before the Patriots make a final call on possibly using a high draft pick this spring to acquire a young quarterback. 

It's unknown if Belichick would accept such a proposal, as ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Wednesday that "the Robert Kraft-Belichick relationship has seemingly run its course." 

"I think it’s really hard to move on from a guy, obviously of what he’s done, but even what he’s done this year, of getting that team going and turned around," McCourty added about the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach. 

Outsiders will soon learn if Kraft agrees with such takes.