Now that Bill Belichick is out as coach of the New England Patriots after 24 seasons, the question turns to where will the six-time Super Bowl champion go next.
The 71-year-old Belichick needs just 15 wins to surpass Don Shula’s all-time record of 347 in the regular season and playoffs and could have options about where to go if he wants to go after that record.
There are already seven other coaching openings outside of New England. The Raiders, Chargers and Panthers fired coaches during the season and the postseason changes have already begun. The Atlanta Falcons fired Arthur Smith on Sunday night, the Commanders fired Ron Rivera on Monday, the Titans let Mike Vrabel go on Tuesday, and Seahawks coach Pete Carroll stepped down on Wednesday.
That core provides the opportunity for a better offense if a legitimate quarterback can be found. The defense does have a few good pieces led by safety Jessie Bates and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett for someone like Belichick to build around.
With 81-year-old owner Arthur Blank seeming to run out of patience, making a run at a proven coach like Belichick to help the Falcons win the NFL’s weakest division could make sense.
The Panthers have taken on the mantle of the NFL’s most dysfunctional franchise under owner David Tepper, who has gone through six coaches — including interims — since taking over as owner in 2018. Belichick could bring immediate credibility to a team sorely in need of it.
Tepper fired Ron Rivera during the 2019 season, Matt Rhule early in the 2022 season and Frank Reich just 11 games into his tenure this past season. He even got into trouble with the league last week for throwing a drink at a fan in Jacksonville, leading to a $300,000 fine.
Making matters worse for the two-win Panthers is the fact that they traded away the pick that turned into the No. 1 overall selection in April to move up to draft Bryce Young last year. Young struggled as a rookie but still has potential that could be an attraction for Belichick.
Tepper has plenty of money if Belichick is looking for a big pay day but it might take a few years to break Shula’s record, considering the state of the roster.
Owner Mark Davis has liked to take big swings on his coaching hires in the past, most notably when he brought back Jon Gruden for a second stint. Belichick’s old quarterback, Tom Brady, already is a part owner of Davis’ WNBA team and has an agreement to acquire a piece of the Raiders as well, pending league approval.
But the Raiders tried the Patriot Way without success when they hired former New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as coach and executive Dave Ziegler as general manager, only to fire both after less than two years. That could make Davis hesitant to go that direction again.
Interim coach Antonio Pierce provided a spark after taking over for McDaniels and has a shot to keep the job after going 5-4.
The Raiders also don’t have many building blocks for a quick turnaround outside of star defensive end Maxx Crosby and 31-year-old receiver Davante Adams to make the job attractive to Belichick.
