Wild Bill Belichick Trade Rumor Emerges

There's been speculation that Bill Belichick could be on the hot seat and needs to be replaced in New England going all the way back to the offseason (and even before, depending on who you ask). But to date that's all just been hypothesizing from Patriots fans and writers.

But suddenly we're starting to get some more concrete rumors and whispers around the league. But should we take the rumor seriously?

Patriots Rumors: Bill Belichick Being Traded to Washington?

ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio reports that "some in league circles" think that Bill Belichick could be traded to the Washington Commanders after the season.

Washington is the team he's most been linked to this season, and if the Hall-of-Fame coach doesn't end his career in Foxborough, the Commanders are the early favorites to be the next team he coaches.

That doesn't mean the rumor is worth a damn, though.

It's important to keep in mind the scope of these rumors right now. "Some in league circles" doesn't necessarily mean it's someone with any actual knowledge of the situation. The Los Angeles Chargers' ball boy's best friend may well be considered as "in league circles."

There's also the caveat that even that unnamed "some" isn't saying they've heard it's actually happening. Only that they "think that" it might happen. Again, if they have no inside knowledge of the situation, their speculation isn't necessarily worth anything more than the speculation of a fan.

And then part three, our "some" "think that" the Commanders "will try to work out a deal." Nothing about the Patriots being interested. Nothing about the Commanders being willing to pay whatever it takes.

This rumor feels about as weak as it gets. It's the ultimate attention-grabber — speculating about a huge splashy high-profile move. But it's carefully crafted so nobody can ever accuse it of being wrong, because it's only calling out that it's possible that Washington might try.

Still, we've seen time and time again that where there's smoke there's sometimes fire. The Patriots may not be an organization that leaks its long-term plans, but if any franchise is sloppy enough to let something like this out so far in advance, it's Washington.

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