Bill Belichick is leaving the New England Patriots, but if the legendary head coach still wants to work, there are plenty of potential landing spots out there.
Yesterday, it was Pete Carroll and Nick Saban. Today, in a much less surprising development, but an equally if not more historic one, Bill Belichick's time with the New England Patriots is coming to a close. ESPN's Adam Schefter shared the news via X.
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are expected to part ways today after a remarkable 24 seasons together, ending an unmatched run in NFL history that included six Super Bowl titles, league sources tell me and @MikeReiss. pic.twitter.com/IcibaPpA4S
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2024
Curiously enough, Belichick was tabbed as the successor for none other than Carroll, due in large part to the work he did with the Cleveland Browns with Saban on his staff, and the rest is history.
Nine AFC titles, Six Super Bowl wins, an undefeated regular season, 19 consecutive winning seasons and 17 division titles, and of course, the greatest draft pick anyone's ever made. It all amounts to a one-team tenure that nobody can come close to touching, but all things must come to an end. The Patriots are absolutely terrible, and as the head coach as well as general manager, Belichick bears some responsibility for those shortcomings. Today, it seems that the official announcement will come that Bill's reign in Foxborough is finally over.
So what's next? Does he have anything left in the tank? Can he win his first ring as a head coach without Tom Brady, or his first at the college level? With a resume like Belichick's every door is open. It's a relatively unprecedented situation, with such a respected name hitting the market, so let's take a look at some of the potential landing spots for the legendary coach.
Los Angeles Chargers
Will Bill Belichick be the #Chargers next head coach?
"When you have Michael Jordan available to you, you wait for Michael Jordan. If I'm Bill Belichick, I'm going to wait. I guarantee you the phone's already rang. This guy gets to pick the job he wants." ? @craigcartonlive pic.twitter.com/vht7K1QvHo
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) January 11, 2024
This one has been rumored for months, due in large part to how clear it was that the Chargers would have to move on from head coach Brandon Staley. They made the firing official midseason, opening up a whole new wave of speculation before Belichick was even officially let go.
Belichick's last dynasty was built on the shoulders of a sixth-round quarterback, the ultimate draft gem. But what if he was given a hyper-talented top pick? Coaching Justin Herbert through his current career crossroads could be a compelling opportunity for Belichick, especially as at the age of 71, he may not want to start completely from scratch. The Chargers had a bad year, but there's plenty of talent for him to work with to get the team contending fast.
Atlanta Falcons
Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Falcons are another team that has a lot in place, just not quarterback. Perhaps that's even more interesting to Belichick, the opportunity to select his own passer once more, just as he did with Tom Brady.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported via X that the Falcons are very interested in pursuing Belichick.
The Atlanta Falcons have been interested in landing Bill Belichick for weeks, per sources. Belichick isn't the only candidate they are targeting.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 11, 2024
Arthur Smith was an unmitigated disaster this year, and while Belichick likely wouldn't be calling the offense himself like Smith did, he would have the pull to bring in a solid coordinator while establishing his own style of leadership over the club. The NFC South is absolutely wide open going forward, and rather than heading out to the AFC West where he'll have to contend with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, not to mention Sean Payton in Denver, Belichick might like the idea of dominating another division.
Washington Commanders
Commanders owner Josh Harris is enamored with the idea of Bill Belichick as the team's next coach. Would Harris give Belichick full control over football operations, if Belichick insists on it? https://t.co/fIt790jZLA
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 7, 2024
We all know about Bill's ties to the state of Maryland and the United States Navy, as he was raised in Annapolis while his father was coaching the Naval Academy football team. Perhaps he'd like to go home and coach the Commanders, who are based in Landover, just a half hour away.
Beyond Belichick's local ties, the Commanders, set to draft in the #2 spot this year, might be in position to draft Caleb Williams, as the Bears, who own the first pick, seem to be leaning more and more towards keeping Justin Fields. Belichick and Williams would form a formidable duo of home-grown heroes, and to be completely blunt, Belichick might relish the opportunity to pick one spot ahead of the Patriots and snipe a generational QB prospect before he can get to New England.
Alabama Crimson Tide
After Bill Belichick?s exit from New England today, both the greatest coach in pro football history AND college football history have ended their historic runs in less than 24 hours from one another.
Fitting for two good friends and the two greatest to ever do it. pic.twitter.com/TwPgVYMsUt
— Sidelines - Bama (@SSN_Alabama) January 11, 2024
The timing is just a little bit suspicious isn't it? It's been speculated that Saban would never leave Alabama without a succession plan, and he retired the day before one of the great coaches of all time- a longtime friend, who very well could have notified Saban of this development ahead of time- was let go by his team.
Belichick is already considered by many to be the greatest NFL coach of all time, but what if he got a college football national championship? His aura could stop the mass exodus of top departures from Tuscaloosa, and as college football expands its playoff, broadens the influence of the transfer portal, and begins to compensate athletes, it's looking more and more like the NFL. Could the legendary pro coach and GM be the perfect figure to lead the Crimson Tide into the new era of the sport?
Life Beyond The Sideline
Dad Life got me feeling like Belichick on vacation. pic.twitter.com/nLlk5h3jsR
— Coach Porter (@Porter_SLHS) August 10, 2018
Let's get one thing straight- Bill Belichick does not need to coach another football game. Sure, he'd love to get up to the all-time coaching wins record, but his legacy already is what it is. Financially, he's beyond set, but even if he wasn't he could take a cushy, low-stress network job for just about as much money as he wants, and collect that paycheck indefinitely.
He could also retire completely, and ride his boat, the VIII Rings, off into the New England sunset, never to touch the sport ever again. He could even finally pursue his true passion, lacrosse, and return to his Alma Mater of Wesleyan University to help his old team out. The possibilities are truly endless, but at the age of 71 with an unbelievable amount of success behind him, Belichick can pick whatever he wants- even if that's doing nothing. He's surely earned it.
