NFL Exec: 'Would Take a Pretty Desperate Owner' to Hire Belichick After Patriots Run

Bill Belichick is arguably the greatest coach in NFL history, but there may not be a rush to hire him after his split with the New England Patriots.

"I don't think teams will be clamoring for Belichick," an NFC executive said, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "Might be wrong but I'm skeptical. He's older and things got stale in New England. It would take a pretty desperate owner, in my opinion."

The comment came after ESPN's Adam Schefter and Mike Reiss reported the Patriots and 71-year-old head coach decided to part ways Thursday.

The sentiment that teams might not want Belichick at this stage of his career doesn't take away from all he has achieved.

His resume includes six Super Bowl titles, nine Super Bowl appearances and three Coach of the Year awards. He went 266-121 during his 24 seasons on New England's sideline and will always be remembered as one of the most important figures in the history of the game.

However, teams that move on from their head coaches are often looking to reset things and build a foundation for the future.

That would lend itself to hiring a younger coach who can theoretically look to establish the type of long-term success that Belichick enjoyed with the Patriots. While hiring Belichick would create a splash at the press conference and surely generate plenty of immediate momentum, he might not be someone who is looking to coach for another 10-plus years at this stage.

He is also coming off of two consecutive losing seasons.

New England went 4-13 in 2023 and doesn't seem to have a franchise quarterback in place after 2021 first-round pick Mac Jones struggled and was eventually benched. The days of Tom Brady dominating the league with Belichick guiding from the sidelines seem to be well in the past for the organization.

Ultimately, Belichick is an iconic figure in NFL history but might not be the answer for struggling teams looking to build years into the future.