Mike Florio of NBC Sports says New England might be willing to part ways with the six-time Super Bowl champion.
The Commanders are 3–5 going into Week 9 and appear to be conceding the 2023-24 NFL season after trading defensive standouts Chase Young and Montez Sweat for draft picks.
The Patriots have a 2–6 record, putting them last in the AFC East. New England didn’t offload any talent at the trade deadline, but its prospects for the rest of the season look bleak.
These circumstances don’t appear to be linked in any way. However, one insider is connecting dots based on chatter he’s heard in league circles. Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio appeared on The Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday to say that the Commanders’ newly acquired draft picks could make them an attractive destination for a new coach.
Florio first cryptically alluded to the identity of that possible new coach, but it didn’t take much pushing from Eisen to make Florio come right out and reveal it.
“There’s a little chatter out there about a possible trade of Bill Belichick,” Florio said.
Check it out for yourself below:
Belichick’s potential firing by the Patriots seems highly unlikely after team owner Robert Kraft reportedly signed him to a contract extension during the offseason. That’s why Florio’s scenario has the six-time Super Bowl champion being traded to Washington.
The scuttlebutt he’s hearing might be leaked from Belichick’s side, informing potential suitors that the coach won’t be available unless a team makes an effort to go get him.
Checked in with a few people and there’s “no truth” to the future Belichick and Washington speculation that’s been thrown around. Has not been discussed.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) November 1, 2023
Many maneuvers would have to be made to pull off such a move. First, the Commanders would have to fire Ron Rivera. Then the team would have to go through a coaching search to comply with the NFL’s Rooney Rule, which requires minority candidates to be interviewed. How many coaches would even participate in that process if they believe Belichick is Washington’s true choice?
Whatever chatter Florio picked up apparently isn’t being reported elsewhere. In fact, NBC Sports Washington’s JP Finlay said his sources tell him there is “no truth” to the Belichick speculation.
