The last few seasons for the New England Patriots haven't gone too well, and it could lead to Bill Belichick's departure in the near future.

In an interview with “The Rich Eisen Show,” longtime Patriots insider Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports indicated that Belichick's seat has been warm for years now and has only gotten hotter entering the 2023 season.

“He's on the hot seat,” Curran said. “And he's been there at different levels of warmth since 2019.”

Curran also implied that there already could be a successor in place if Belichick falters this season, outlining what it could take for the Patriots to move on from the legendary coach.

“If they look disorganized, dysfunctional and discipline's out the window, then they might say, ‘That was a great run, but can you go upstairs and just watch Jerod coach next year?'” Curran said.

Jerod, of course, is Jerod Mayo, the Patriots' current inside linebackers coach and former player. Mayo has been a hot commodity in coaching searches in recent years, interviewing for head coach jobs on multiple occasions. But in this past offseason, Mayo turned down interviews with multiple teams as he opted to remain in New England after the team announced it was giving him an extension.

The terms of Mayo's extension were never disclosed, but many speculated that it could leave him to be the frontrunner to be Belichick's replacement whenever that day comes.

Patriots heading into 2023

In the meantime though, the Patriots have to worry about getting back into the playoffs and winning in 2023. Patriots owner Robert Kraft has stated on multiple occasions over the last year-plus that it's bothered him that the team hasn't won a playoff game since the 2018 season. After being one-and-done in 2019, the Patriots have gone 25-25 in the regular season over the last three years following Tom Brady's departure, adding to the frustration. New England's made the playoffs just once and lost in a blowout to the Buffalo Bills in that lone playoff game.

Belichick is also chasing history himself. He's 18 wins short of Don Shula's record for the most by a coach in NFL history. Kraft has stated he'd like to see Belichick break the record with the Patriots, but he's more focused on playoff success.

“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,” Kraft told reporters in March. “We’re about winning, and doing whatever we can to win. And that’s what our focus is now. And I — it’s very important to me that we make the playoffs, and that’s what I hope happens next year.”

But Curran thinks Belichick's situation of being as close as he is to the record might play a hand in his job status.

“I wonder if Belichick had already passed Shula or wasn't even within hailing distance of Shula, if we would really have this kind of hand-wringing, ‘What do we do about Bill conversation?'” Curran said.

Another playoff season would almost guarantee that Belichick is still in New England in 2024. But if there's another losing season, it appears it'd be anyone's guess if Belichick returns or not.