Legendary head coach Bill Belichick could be coaching his last game with the New England Patriots. The eight-time Super Bowl champion is entering the final week of his worst season with the club, as the team currently owns a disappointing 4-12 record and is firmly in contention for a top-three pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Before the season, owner Robert Kraft said that the Patriots needed to make the playoffs after 2022’s disappointing finish, and the team responded with a season to forget.
Reports across the league indicate that Kraft and Bill Belichick will part ways at the end of the season, and where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire. For what it’s worth, however, it’s hard to believe will fire Belichick. Even though the team hasn’t been the same since Tom Brady left the building, Belichick is still a great defensive mind, and it stands to reason that a change of scenery could be necessary after over two decades with the same team.
To that end, a recent report by Josina Anderson of CBS Sports reveals that multiple teams have started to do their due diligence on Bill Belichick. One of these teams is the Los Angeles Chargers, who are doing a lot of homework on multiple candidates.
I’m told the expectation at this time for the #Chargers is that they’ll run their head coach & general manager searches simultaneously, per source.
Some early names surfacing around the HC vacancy at this preliminary stage include Dan Quinn, Eric Bienemy, Jim Harbaugh &…
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 2, 2024
Report: Multiple Teams Interested In Head Coach Bill Belichick
Right off the bat, let’s point out that this does not necessarily mean that a Bill Belichick trade will happen in the coming days. Quite frankly, it would be foolish for a team looking for a head coach to not do some basic research on Belichick. The best organizations leave no stone unturned, and even if Belichick isn’t the team’s first choice, they still need to take a good look at what he could provide for the organization.
It’s also important to know that, as of this posting, Bill Belichick is still under contract with the Patriots. This means that, unless Kraft fires him, somebody will have to trade for his services. It’s impossible to know exactly what the Patriots could get in a trade, but recent history suggests it will probably be a first-round pick. Last year at this time, Denver gave up a first-round selection in exchange for Sean Payton’s services, and Belichick has a much longer track record than the former New Orleans Saints coach.
With those disclaimers out of the way, the Chargers make sense as a potential Bill Belichick destination. Belichick’s defenses have remained strong without Brady, but New England’s biggest shortcomings revolve around the offensive side of the ball. Fortunately, Los Angeles already has their franchise quarterback in Justin Herbert, so Belichick won’t need to worry about that. Additionally, the Chargers are looking for a head coach and general manager, and Belichick would probably prefer to have complete control of the organization.
Who Is the Mysterious Other Team?
Anderson’s report says that there is “at least one other team” interested in Bill Belichick, but who could that be? While plenty of coaches are sure to be fired on Black Monday, we can begin our search by looking at the Las Vegas Raiders and Carolina Panthers, two teams that have already fired their head coaches. While anything is possible, it’s hard to imagine the Raiders going after Belichick, seeing as they just fired one of his disciples less than two years after hiring him. The Josh McDaniels Era probably left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth, and they’ll want their next coach to have a different organizational philosophy.
The Carolina Panthers, however, are possible. David Tepper has made some strange decisions since taking control of the organization, and he might try for a big-name hire like Bill Belichick. This probably wouldn’t be the wisest move, as Carolina needs all the draft picks it can get, and Belichick’s failure with Mac Jones makes him a questionable choice to mentor Bryce Young. Personally speaking, the Panthers should probably go after a younger, offensive-minded coach like Ben Johnson, but I am not paid to make those types of decisions.
Of the teams that have yet to fire their head coaches, the Washington Commanders are the most likely fit. Ron Rivera hasn’t had a winning season in his four years with the Washington Commanders, and it’s safe to assume that his time has officially run out. This means that the new ownership group will have a chance to prove that they’re committed to winning, and what better way to do that than by acquiring one of the greatest head coaches in the history of the game? Maybe Bill Belichick is in his “Joe Namath on the Rams” phase, or maybe he’ll do well in a new environment.
Main Photo: Matt Konezny – USA Today Sports
