Bill Belichick's Ideal NFL Landing Spots If Patriots, Head Coach Part Ways
For the first time since Bill Belichick's initial season with the New England Patriots—all the way back in 2000—the legendary head coach has found himself stuck playing out the string in early November with no real chance of contending for a playoff spot. The Pats are now 2-8 following an 10-6 defeat to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany this past weekend, the latest loss in a three-game skid that all but officially ended any hope of turning things around.
This abysmal campaign has led to speculation that 2023 could be Belichick's final season in New England. While NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that the coach signed a "lucrative" multi-year extension just this past offseason, it's starting to seem more and more probable that his days in Foxboro are numbered. Although it's improbable that the Pats will make a coaching change before the end of the year, it has become an exceedingly realistic possibility that the two parties end a 24-year marriage—one that produced nine Super Bowl appearances and six championship rings—come January.
There should be no shortage of suitors for Belichick if he hits the open market. He's still widely regarded as one of the greatest to ever walk the sidelines and a mastermind at his craft. There are plenty of other clubs trending towards a regime change that would be delighted to bring the 71-year-old future Hall of Famer aboard should he be interested in continuing an illustrious NFL career that began all the way back in 1975.
With that in mind, here are five ideal landing spots for Belichick if he parts ways with the Patriots.
Chicago Bears
1 of 5
The Chicago Bears went into 2023 with hopes of contending again after some lean rebuilding years. The club felt confident enough in quarterback Justin Fields' development to trade out from the No. 1 overall pick and believed that head coach Matt Eberflus would improve drastically upon the poor 3-14 record he led his side to during his first season at the helm. That hasn't come to fruition, however, as the Bears are off to a pitiful start to the campaign and have seen Fields' development come to a screeching halt.
Bringing in someone like Bill Belichick could result in a reversal of fortune for the beleaguered franchise. Peter King of NBC Sports noted in his recent column that Chicago would be a "longshot" to go after the coach, but it's possible his availability could tempt the front office.
Eberflus hasn't been able to help Fields take a leap after the young signal-caller showed flashes of potential during his first two seasons as a pro. Considering how heavily the team invested into acquiring Fields during the 2021 draft—Chicago coughed up multiple picks, including a 2022 first-rounder, to move up from No. 20 to No. 11 that year—this is nothing short of a disastrous make-or-break third season for both the passer and the club. While Eberflus wasn't involved in Fields' selection, his fortunes are tied to the quarterback regardless. Unless the quarterback returns to the lineup and shows significant strides in his development while leading the Bears to victories, it's possible both the coach and quarterback could be moving on this offseason.
Although Belichick has struggled developing a quarterback of his own lately—Mac Jones' tenure in New England started well but has hit new lows in recent weeks—he had an unprecedented run of success with Tom Brady. If he gets the keys to the Bears organization, which will include a pair of early first-round picks next year, he could orchestrate the type of quick turnaround fans in the Windy City have been desperate for.
Dallas Cowboys
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The Dallas Cowboys would be one of the most intriguing suitors for Bill Belichick's services. The team has been great during the regular season in recent years but hasn't found the playoff success owner Jerry Jones has long craved. You would have to go all the way back to the 1995 season to find the last time the club last participated in an NFC Championship Game, an agonizingly long wait for a franchise that is best known for its run of three Super bowl victories in four years during the 1990s.
NBC Sports' Peter King stated that Dallas "could be in play" if a few things break a certain way. King believes that the Cowboys would have to falter down the stretch, miss out on an NFC East title for second consecutive season and fail to win a playoff game for them to part ways with incumbent head coach Mike McCarthy.
McCarthy has generally been a boon for the Cowboys since he took over in 2020. While the team won just six games in his first year, he led Dallas to back-to-back 12-win campaigns in 2021-22 and is off to a respectable 6-3 start to the current season. However, a losing skid to end the regular season coupled with being bounced from the playoffs before the conference title game could make Belichick look quite a bit more appealing than he currently may seem to ownership.
With a loaded roster that includes a bona fide superstar in Micah Parsons heading up a formidable defense and a competent Dak Prescott-led offense, Belichick— a defensive genius who would be able to unlock the many talents Dallas has on its disposal on that side of the ball—could maximize this group's strengths and have it ready for a deep playoff run in 2024.
Los Angeles Chargers
3 of 5
The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the 2023 season's more disappointing squads. After winning 10 games during the regular season last year and making the playoffs for the first time in the Justin Herbert era, the Bolts haven't seemed to fully recover from the gut-wrenching loss they suffered after blowing a 27-point lead in the Wild Card round. They're off to a tepid 4-5 start and are in real danger of missing the postseason entirely for the fourth time in the last five years.
If the Chargers don't get their act together soon, Bill Belichick could be at the top of the front office's wish list when the offseason rolls around. The team has plenty of talent but is woefully underperforming with Brandon Staley calling the shots. A change could be necessary just three years into his tenure based on how poorly the squad is faring in 2023.
With the offense not able to make up for this team's defensive deficiencies—the Bolts only rank No. 11 in total offense—it's going to be tough for the team to turn things around in time to make a playoff run. The squad lost a shootout to the Detroit Lions this past Sunday and has a brutal stretch to close out the year that includes meetings with the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs in two of the final three weeks of the campaign.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith (h/t NESN) believes the Chargers will try to lure Belichick to replace Staley and jump-start their underperforming defense. The team boasts some top-tier talent on that side of the ball—including standouts like Joey Bosa, Derwin James and Khalil Mack—but hasn't been able to put it all together under the current regime. Belichick represents a great opportunity for L.A. to change its fortunes while bringing some much-needed credibility to a franchise that has long lacked it.
New York Giants
4 of 5
It wasn't long ago that the New York Giants coaching staff seemed to be set up well for the foreseeable future. Head coach Brian Daboll had a magical first year with the organization, leading an undermanned roster to a hard-fought 9-7-1 record, a surprise playoff berth and even a Wild Card round victory during it. Daboll earned Coach of the Year honors for his efforts and seemed poised to build on that in Year 2.
Things have gone off the rails for Big Blue in 2023, however, and Daboll could soon go from the hot seat to the unemployment line. New York's season is all but over after a 2-8 start, and while most coaches in Daboll's shoes would get a chance to turn things around next year, the specter of Bill Belichick's potential availability looms heavily over him. Belichick has a lengthy history with this storied franchise, notably crafting a Hall of Fame defensive gameplan that led to New York's upset of the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV.
It hasn't helped that Daboll hitched his wagon to quarterback Daniel Jones. While Jones is now sidelined for the remainder of the season and potentially some of 2024 after tearing an ACL in Week 9, he had been failing to live up to his pricy contract extension prior to the injury. The fifth-year signal-caller had a bounce-back year in 2022 which led to the new deal, but threw for just two touchdown passes against six interceptions in the six games he started this season.
Given Belichick's history and appreciation for the G-Men—a fondness he's displayed publicly on plenty of occasions, even choking up during a segment reminiscing about his time with the organization during the NFL Network documentary series A Football Life—it would hardly be a shock if the coach desires to return to the organization to close out his career. The roster may have plenty of question marks, including under center, but few coaches would be better suited to turning this club around.
Washington Commanders
5 of 5
The Washington Commanders have been in a state of transition following the sale of the team this past offseason. The team installed a new starting quarterback in Sam Howell and could soon make a regime change as well, turning over a new leaf in the post-Dan Snyder era. While incumbent head coach Ron Rivera hasn't been a terrible hire, he hasn't had a single winning season and has just one playoff appearance under his belt since taking over in 2020.
If Washington does make a coaching change, there are signs pointing towards Bill Belichick being the top target. The Patriots coach has been linked to the Commanders by multiple sources, with NBC Sports' Peter King noting how Belichick grew up mere miles away from FedEx Field. More tellingly, ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio said on the Zach Gelb Show that new owner Josh Harris is planning to "inquire about what it would take" to pry Belichick away from New England.
It seems that Harris would prefer to bring in a hand-picked head coach to run the show rather than keep around a holdover in Rivera. It would be a major coup to secure Belichick, even if the coach is just 27-34 since Tom Brady's departure. Getting a change of scenery and moving back close to his hometown of Annapolis could be exactly what the aging coach needs to revitalize his career.
While the Commanders won't instantly vault into Super Bowl contention by replacing Rivera with Belichick, it would give them a much better chance to compete on the defensive end. Washington has been squandering a rather impressive start to Howell's career—he stands atop the league in passing yardage and is tied for the third-most touchdown throws—due to a defense that ranks as the NFL's fourth-worst in yardage conceded and second-worst in points allowed.
Belichick's presence and scheming would give this unit a massive boost, coupled with Eric Bienemy's presence on the offensive side of the ball to continue to shepherd Howell's development could result in the Commanders becoming a legitimate contender within the next few seasons.
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