NFL reporter says that Bill Belichick's next destination will be the 'worst-kept secret'
Bill Belichick is living his first season out of the NFL since 1974, but it might not take long until the legendary coach is back in the business. This year, every team with an opening passed on him — including the Atlanta Falcons, who interviewed him twice. But things will probably be different in 2025. […]
Bill Belichick is living his first season out of the NFL since 1974, but it might not take long until the legendary coach is back in the business. This year, every team with an opening passed on him — including the Atlanta Falcons, who interviewed him twice. But things will probably be different in 2025.
NFL reporter Steven Ruiz joined Bill Simmons' podcast and said that he expects Belichick to go to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"There's already whispers there," Ruiz said. "The real reason why I believe this is Shad Khan is a hands-off owner. I don't think he's gonna get spooked like Atlanta did when Bill Belichick comes in and goes 'I want to run the organization'".
Reportedly, Bill Belichick didn't ask to be a de facto general manager with the Falcons, but a coach with his background would obviously be a powerful presence for Terry Fontenot.
With the Jaguars, that presumably wouldn't be an issue. General manager Trent Baalke took over during the 2020 season (as an interim first, and then promoted to a linear GM in 2021), but his results have been mediocre. Baalke was retained when the Jaguars fired Urban Meyer and hired Doug Pederson, but it's hard to imagine him surviving a new coaching change.
Timeline
It's impossible to know for sure if this will actually happen for several reasons. First, the Jaguars would have to keep playing at a low level, so Pederson is really fired during or at the end of the season.
Moreover, Bill Belichick himself has to agree to the idea of coaching in Jacksonville, and he has to get along well with Shad Khan.
Nonetheless, if all those things happen, the idea is fairly realistic. Belichick would have the opportunity to work with a talented, high-end quarterback in Trevor Lawrence, and his backup is former New England Patriots first-round pick Mac Jones.
Belichick would probably hire Josh McDaniels as his offensive coordinator, and while McDaniels didn't work out as a head coach, his track record as a coordinator is extremely successful.
Looking around the league right now, Doug Pederson is certainly a coach on the hot seat. If things don't get better for the Jaguars over the next few weeks, a big change might be on the way.
Motivation
The big reason for Bill Belichick to keep coaching is his chance to surpass Don Shula with the most wins as a head coach in NFL history. Right now, Belichick is 26 wins away from tying the record (328 to 302).
Belichick has had two stints as a head coach. First, he was the leader of the Cleveland Browns between 1991 and 1995, with 36 wins and 44 losses — only one playoff win, exactly against the New England Patriots.
He coached the Patriots between 2000 and 2023, with 266 wins and 121 losses. It’s the most successful tenure in NFL history, a period that included six Super Bowl titles.
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