NFL Exec: Bill Belichick Among League's Worst GMs Despite Being 'at the Top' as HC

At least one NFL official doesn't see a way Bill Belichick can be empowered to the degree he was toward the end of his time with the New England Patriots.

Based on multiple reports, Belichick is no longer the Patriots' head coach. Thanks to being one of the greatest ever at his profession, the 71-year-old can probably land on his feet in short order if he wants to continue working. There might be a big hurdle, though.

"As a coach he's at the top—as a GM he's at the bottom (of the list of candidates), and he will want to do both so that's tough," an AFC personnel official said to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "I do think that's a factor teams could be turned off by. I can't imagine he doesn't want to do everything."

There's no question Belichick reaped what he sowed as the Patriots went 4-13 in 2023, their worst record in his 24 years with the team. His magic touch in the NFL draft had long faded, and New England was no longer a major free-agent draw without Tom Brady on the roster.

With his future up in the air, Belichick left the impression he'd be willing to cede some influence to a dedicated personnel director, though he didn't explicitly say so.

Now, his mindset may shift a bit if he senses he's the one who has leverage in negotiations with interested suitors.

Fowler cited an NFC executive who said "it would take a pretty desperate owner" for Belichick to get hired. But NFL owners as a collective body are nothing if not somewhat nonsensical at times.