The Patriots’ decision to sacked Bill Belichick after the 2023 NFL season is not surprising. The legendary coach led New England to a successful dynasty, winning six Super Bowls in 24 seasons. But after the Patriots finished 2023 with the NFL’s second-worst record (4-13), the two sides agreed to go their separate ways.
An even more surprising thing happened. Several teams with head coaching vacancies have expressed interest regardless of Belichick’s availability. So far, the Falcons are the only team that has interviewed Belichick for the 2024 NFL season. As ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday, Atlanta “doesn’t look like a team ready to take on Bill Belichick” during its coaching search.
“Having dealt with Bill Belichick twice, I know he’s not the nicest guy to do things in public,” Schefter said while talking about the Falcons on ESPN’s “Stand Up.” If Belichick fails to accept the Falcons job, his chance to coach during the 2024 NFL season will be diminished.
Why? That’s because other teams looking for a coach have yet to show interest in him.”He hasn’t talked to any of the other three teams,” Schefter said of Belichick. “Therefore, it is very likely that the four teams with vacancies will not be able to give him the position of head coach.”Of course, the NFL coaching hiring cycle can be volatile. The veteran coach is not employed by the Falcons, so one of the other teams could approach him.
But if Atlanta leaves, the question of what will happen to Belichick will come to the fore. What NFL team hasn’t hired a head coach?
Here’s what’s next for Belichick and what head coaching jobs are still open in the NFL. Starting Thursday afternoon, three:The Falcons are still considering Belichick, but Schefter’s report suggests the Falcons are looking at other candidates. The Seahawks are another team that doesn’t fit Belichick. They took over from Pete Carroll, who replaced Belichick in New England in 2000.
Reading the tea leaves, the Seahawks reportedly looked to replace the 72-year-old Carroll, the oldest coach in the NFL, with a younger candidate. The oldest prospect to get a second interview with the Seahawks so far is 53-year-old Dan Quinn, so it appears the 71-year-old Belichick was overlooked.
Finally, the Chiefs were heavily linked to Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Other than that, not much has been said about their pursuit, so Washington could wait patiently until Detroit is eliminated from postseason contention. So it’s difficult to find a potential landing spot for Belichick. It may have been the Panthers before Dave Canales was hired, but now Belichick is hoping the Falcons come calling or another coaching job opens up.
Could Bill Belichick take over as Chiefs coach when Andy Reid retires? Another NFL coaching change is unlikely, but never say never. If there is one, it’s probably in Kansas City.This has absolutely nothing to do with Andy Reid’s art. He had the right to direct his superiors as much as he wanted.That said, there has been speculation over the past few seasons that Reed might retire, but he didn’t add fuel after the Chiefs’ win over the Dolphins.
“I haven’t thought about it yet,” Reed told ProFootballTalk about retirement. “It reminds me of something. I thought it would be okay to ask this question because I’m older, but I’m not that old. But Reed turns 66 in March, so it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise if he decides to hang up the headphones. If that happens, Belichick could consider the job given his defensive experience and history of managing a top quarterback in Tom Brady.
But the Chiefs would immediately become the most attractive head coaching opening of the year. They may have ideas of their own, like Eric Bieniemi, who was the team’s offensive coordinator for five years before spending a year in Washington.
What’s next if Bill Belichick isn’t the head coach?
With the Falcons and Chiefs gone, Belichick faces a tough decision on what to do next. Here are three possible options: None of this is ideal, as he tries to break Don Shula’s NFL record for wins. Served as defensive coordinator
If Belichick doesn’t want to give up coaching, he could join the team as a defensive coordinator or assistant coach. There will be some obstacles to Belichick taking on the role due to his long tenure as a head coach. That could make it difficult to pair him with a first-year coach who wants to prove himself or a veteran coach who doesn’t want to leave Belichick in trouble.
Either way, Belichick remains one of the best defensive minds in the league. So if he’s willing to serve as a defensive coordinator, there should be at least one team that wants him on their team in 2024. This may sound funny to those who have only seen footage of Belichick’s press conferences, but NFL Network’s “All-Time Team” analysis brought it to light.
It’s unclear whether Belichick wants to work in television, but the networks could target him if he doesn’t coach through the 2024 season. Please be patient and wait for the directory in 2025.Ultimately, Belichick will be out for the 2024 season.
