New reports suggest Bill Belichick might have a big market this offseason

The New England Patriots have fallen to the bottom of the NFL this season, and Bill Belichick has taken a major hit. With the poor stretch of play dating back to last year, not only has Belichick hurt his legacy, but he’s also hurt his credibility. Some people have even questioned if he could land another head coaching job after the Patriots.

A recent report from Jeff Howe of The Athletic shed light on the discussion. After speaking with NFL executives, Howe reported that Belichick would have multiple suitors. The report is interesting because Belichick's name and brand still hold value despite the poor record.

The various suitors would have to be bad teams looking to return to relevancy. Those teams could include the Washington Commanders, Chicago Bears, or Carolina Panthers.

Another interesting part of Howe’s report is that Belichick could be worth as much as a first-round pick. The fact that executives around the league think Belichick, who is 71 years old, could garner a first-round selection is absurd. Ultimately, it shows how desperate the league is for top coaches.

With a possible first-round pick in return, the Patriots have no choice but to consider a trade. Historically, the Patriots have been great with their asset management, and this would be a perfect chance to move off of Belichick while he still has value. The Patriots would be better off trading him to another team than firing him for nothing and still having to pay him.

The Patriots could also learn their lesson from losing Tom Brady for nothing. It would be a bad look for the franchise to have the two greatest people they ever had walk away for nothing. It would be held against Robert Kraft for the rest of his time as owner of the Patriots.

Ultimately, it will be interesting to see how the market for Belichick develops as the season comes to an end.