According to Sports Illustrated, Bill Belichick gave Patriots assistant coaches time off until Monday, Jan. 22, though some remain in the building.

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As of late Wednesday, Belichick’s future as the team’s head coach remained uncertain. He has met with ownership regarding the franchise’s future, as Belichick said he would during his end-of-season press conference Monday. The day Patriots assistants are set to return is the same day teams with head-coaching vacancies can conduct in-person interviews with candidates employed by other teams (this would not apply to projected top candidates Mike Vrabel and Jerod Mayo, should Belichick and the team part ways).

Before hiring a new head coach, teams must conduct two in-person interviews with external, minority candidates, per league rules. The Patriots do not have such a vacancy yet, but if they move on from Belichick, they are likely to hire both a new head coach and general manager. The team would also need to interview an external, minority candidate for its GM position, which could prolong a potential search.

Extra points

Reports indicate Titans owner Amy Strunk fired coach Mike Vrabel partly because of his conduct in Foxboro in October, when the Patriots inducted him into their franchise Hall of Fame. That weekend, Vrabel gave an acceptance speech and addressed fans at halftime. Vrabel is expected to draw interest from several franchises with head-coaching vacancies including, possibly, the Patriots. … Cornerback Isaiah Bolden, who missed the season on injured reserve after suffering a concussion in August, posted on social media that he’s been 100% cleared.