Bill Belichick’s former star believes Patriots HC lining up escape pod
Bill Belichick went to Germany hoping to salvage at least one good memory from the 2023 NFL season with a beatdown of the Indianapolis Colts on international television. Instead, he was left frustrated after watching Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe take turns misfiring in the game.
Now, the conversation about his future in the NFL continues to grow louder. On Wednesday, one of Bill Belichick's former stars expressed his belief that he's entering the home stretch of his time with the New England Patriots.
Here's how Jason McCourty put it on "Good Morning Football":
"[00:01:09] I think obviously he finishes out the season. I don't think Robert Kraft is going to move on from Bill Belichick during the season. But I do believe that at the end of the season, I do think Bill moves on and I think he's coaching somewhere else.
"I don't see Bill retiring. I got a chance obviously to talk to him in the production meetings. He loves football."
He continued, explaining that the Patriots are likely to throw everything out the window from top to bottom in 2024:
"I don't see him just saying, 'You know what, It was a good run. I'm going to finish out the season top five draft pick. We're not successful and I'm just going to walk into the sunset.' I see him wanting to continue to coach. I do think in New England they blow this thing up at the end of the season [00:01:48]."
In that case, the question of where Belichick will coach next season is an intriguing one, if the rumors of his impending departure from New England prove true.
Potential Bill Belichick landing spots for next season
There are 32 teams in the NFL and at one point in the past, each and every one of them would have likely considered trading their head coach for Bill Belichick. However, with a substantial history of losing now written into his coaching record, the list of teams willing to take a dive on Bill Belichick is likely to be much smaller.
The Las Vegas Raiders seem to be the most likely landing spot in Week 11 of 2023, as they're the only team in the league that has an active head coach vacancy.
Josh McDaniels, an offshoot of the New England Patriots head coaching tree, is now out the door. However, getting the originator of the 'Patriot Way' might be too good of an offer to pass up for owner Mark Davis.
The Buffalo Bills have now fired their offensive coordinator after losing to the Denver Broncos. However, in the loss, head coach Sean McDermott has taken a massive share of the blame.
Fanbase frustration sometimes leads to changes. If the Bills season spirals, the team is more likely to part with the head coach than Josh Allen, who is signed through 2028. Would they be interested in hiring such an age-old foe?
The Cleveland Browns, much like the Bills, have an expensive quarterback too pricey to part ways with. One of the team's biggest regrets ever was letting Belichick go back in the 1990s. Would they pass over a second opportunity?
Considering Belichick is 71 years old, he might not want to start with a rookie quarterback. Would he jump at the opportunity to fix an older one like Deshaun Watson?