After weeks of speculation about his future in New England, Bill Belichick is set to step down as head coach.
This will bring the curtain down on what has been a successful time on the sidelines in Foxborough.
After being named as head coach in 2000, Belichick has gone onto dominate the NFL and formed the most successful coach-quarterback partnership with Tom Brady. During his 23 year stint with the franchise, Belichick has won six Super Bowls with the team and as a result created a dynasty.
However, since Brady's departure in 2019, Belichick has struggled to replicate that success and after four poor seasons, owner Robert Kraft has decided that now is the time to bring in a new face in an attempt to bring more Vince Lombardi trophies to Gillette Stadium.
Here DAZN takes a look at three names that could be in contention to takeover one of the NFL's most successful teams.
Mike Vrabel
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After being fired by the Tennessee Titans following the conclusion of the 2023 regular season, Mike Vrabel seems like a natural fit.
The 48-year-old spent seven years with the Patriots as a linebacker winning three Super Bowls and will already have an idea of how the team works.
During his five years as Tennessee Titans head coach, Vrabel managed to take the team to the playoffs on three occasions and also had a 54-45 winning record with the Titans, so he is someone who has the ability to get this Patriots team winning games on a regular basis.
The main question will be whether he is willing to risk his legacy with the Patriots after being inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame back in October.
Jerod Mayo
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Jerod Mayo is another name familiar to Patriots fans.
Spending his whole playing career with the team, Mayo then made the transition to the sidelines where he is now linebackers coach.
Mayo has often been linked with the head coaching job in New England and already has a good working relationship with owner Robert Kraft, but lack of experience may go against the Super Bowl winner if he puts himself forward for the role.
Josh McDaniels
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If New England's aim is to become a more offensive minded team, former offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels could be the man to do it.
With the Patriots having the third pick in this year's NFL Draft, many expect the team to draft a young quarterback who could be the centre piece to a revival in Foxborough.
Just like the previous two names, McDaniels has previous experience working with New England and has been present in all six of the team's Super Bowl wins as a member of coaching staff.
Maybe the franchise will decide to go with a name that understands the culture in New England and knows how to make the team a feared force on offense once more.