You have to wonder if Bill Belichick has coached his last game as an NFL coach. The Hoodie stepped down as the long-time head coach of the New England Patriots after last season. He thought he was going to have an opportunity to reset as an NFL head coach with other franchises, but only the Atlanta Falcons seemed to have any interest in him. They decided to hire Raheem Morris over him...
While Morris had strong Falcons ties from being a vibrant part of the Dan Quinn regime, as well as the well-respected interim in between Quinn and Mr. 7-10 split himself Arthur Smith, Atlanta could have had Belichick. To me, it was never the right fit, but it is still hard to fathom that he is not going to be leading a team next season. If he wants to do this for three or four more years, he might get a shot.
So what I want to do today is outline a handful of NFL franchise who might be desperate enough to hire the 70-something Belichick as their next head coach, despite him being out of football for a season. Age is just a number, but you have to wonder if the game has passed him by in some capacities. The man loves him some control, but will any team be willing to give him what he wants.
Let's start with a team that Belichick's Patriots routinely kicked their ass for the over two decades.
5. Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills need to do something this year because if it is just more of the same, who would honestly be interested in running it back with Sean McDermott and company for another season? He has shown an innate ability to win the AFC East, but never really be any better than the sixth-best team in football. Being in the same conference as Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow hurts them bad.
After previously giving this team noogies twice annually for over 20 years, what if the Pegulas said enough is enough is enough? It would be like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hiring Bruce Arians after floundering for a decade-plus in the NFC South. I think with Josh Allen still in his prime, Belichick could be the one to give Western New York its first Lombardi Trophy if McDermott continues to fail.
I am not banking on this happening for the Bills, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
4. New Orleans Saints
I honestly have no idea what the New Orleans Saints are trying to do anymore, and neither should you. While I could not care less about their future because I am a Falcons fan and they can kick rocks forever, Belichick would be a massive upgrade over Dennis Allen. Plus, having success in New Orleans would make the Falcons look even more stupid. Man, do they love to look stupid, don't they?
The two other reasons why I think the Saints could be a good re-entry point into the league for Belichick is that the NFC South is still somewhat up for grabs, as well as the Saints never, ever wanting to hit the reset button and totally rebuild. Atlanta may be much improved, but Tampa Bay has won the last three division titles. New Orleans feels like a third-place team, but they can turn it around.
New Orleans will have to give up some power, but the Saints do check a bunch of Belichick boxes.
3. New York Jets
I need to be honest. If the New York Jets fail to reach the AFC playoffs this year under Robert Saleh, they need to get a new head coach. While I would say that general manager Joe Douglas stands a better chance of keeping his job than Saleh, all things equal, he should be feeling some of the heat, too. One of the handful of teams that Belichick happened to work for was Gang Green back in the day.
He infamously resigned from his post in the wake of one of Bill Parcells' unceremonious departures. Belichick would take over the reeling New England Patriots shortly their after. While he made a career of owning the Buffalo Bills, the only team I think Belichick liked beating more than the Jets were his previous employer in the Cleveland Browns. New York might be desperate enough to hire Belichick.
It would really have to hit the fan for the Jets to be on board with this maneuver, but it could happen.
2. New York Giants
If there is any team that Belichick used to work for that would seriously consider hiring him to be their next head coach, it would have to be the New York Giants. This is the team where he first rose to prominence as a hotshot defensive coordinator in the 1980s under Bill Parcells. He has always held the Giants in high regard in the years since, even though the IBM of the NFL does not deserve this.
I can see the car crash coming from a mile away. The G-Men will be terrible once again under Brian Daboll, who is going to be legitimately shocked when is let go after three seasons at the helm. Belichick will come in, draft either Carson Beck or Quinn Ewers, and then try his damnedest to get the G-Men another Lombardi Trophy. He has been a part in all four of their Super Bowl wins to date, too.
The Giants may not be stuck in the past as much as the Chicago Bears, but they do love their past.
1. Dallas Cowboys
This is the one I think could actually happen. What if the Joneses have a come to Jesus meeting with octogenarian owner Jerry Jones? Charlotte, Stephen and even Jerry Jr. tell their father to give up control and hire a head coach who can challenge him like Bill Parcells briefly did and what his college teammate at Arkansas Jimmy Johnson accomplished most famously. This is how Dallas can win big.
Belichick would re-sign all of the Dallas Cowboys' top internal players, as he would be assuming a de facto general manager role of sorts. He may listen to what the Joneses and Will McClay have to say, but he knows how to get the most out of his talent. Talent has never been the issue in Dallas, but underperforming in big moments. Mike McCarthy feels like a lame duck. Hiring Belichick ends this.
Jones can not only win the press conference, but his franchise can win more games with Belichick.
