There likely will be at least five head-coaching vacancies after the 2023 season, but the options for Bill Belichick’s post-Patriots spot would be limited based on this longtime NFL writer’s anecdote about the head coach’s philosophy.
Gary Myers began the speculation around Belichick moving to the Chargers if New England decided to part with the six-time Super Bowl champion after this season. Myers has close connections with the head coach, and momentum on a possible Los Angeles move grew after it fired Brandon Staley and general manager Tom Telesco on Friday.
Myers was on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Wednesday with Tony Massarotti and Ted Johnson where he stated his belief that it made sense for New England to part ways with Belichick after this season. He believed the Chargers were the No. 1 choice for Belichick and also threw in the Dallas Cowboys as a dark-horse candidate. He also added in an anecdote Belichick told him years ago.
“He said to me, ‘I can’t go to a place where I got to rebuild the entire front office. I can’t do that in this point in my life,'” Myers recalled Belichick saying to him when asked about a potential return to the New York Giants. “So I think you can apply that to what his thought process would be on whatever his next step is.”
Myers noted this would likely eliminate the Carolina Panthers and Washington Commanders, especially since those teams aren’t built to win now. Belichick is 16 wins away from breaking Don Shula’s record for most wins for a head coach in NFL history.
The Patriots are heading toward a rebuild, which is why securing a top-two pick is vital. But the Chargers seem to be in flux when it comes to whether or not the front office would need a complete overhaul.
Los Angeles needs to decide who to cut to free up cap space and retool the roster. Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, Mike Williams, Eric Kendricks and Sebastian Joseph-Day would be the clear picks, but it would depend on what Belichick wants.
Has his atititude changed since that converstaion with Myers? Does he want the dual role and power that he had in New England? Is that what the Chargers want?
It’s possible Belichick brings in someone with him to help run the front office and knows what he wants, like former Las Vegas Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler, who was in New England’s front office from 2013-2020, or former Tennessee Titans general manager Jon Robinson, who was on the Patriots scouting staff from 2002-2013.
NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry on Friday speculated the idea of rebuilding the front office might not be as complex as it sounds. He believed it would take time to teach a new front office what he wants, but it could be doable if he brought in enough people he has experience working with.
That path of being a “Patriots West” could work better for Belichick than it did for Josh McDaniels since the former has much more respect from people around the league than the former New England offensive coordinator.
Las Vegas also would be an interesting choice for Belichick, especially once Tom Brady’s ownership stake is approved. Mark Davis might be tired out on former Patriots after dealing with McDaniels, but again, Belichick commands much more respect. The Raiders’ quarterback situation is unclear, but if Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams sticks around, their offense still could be in a good place.
It does seem unlikely Belichick would join a team to help their rebuild, which is why multiple insiders and analysts believe Los Angeles is the most logical path with Justin Herbert under center and Derwin James leading the defense. There is a challenge of facing Patrick Mahomes twice a season, but the Denver Broncos and Raiders don’t pose much of a threat.
The Chicago Bears also are in the middle of a rebuild, but a mediocre NFC North could be a good situation for Belichick in win-now mode, and they would have offseason flexbility to rework the roster.
Dallas would be interesting, though Mike McCarthy’s job seems to be secured. However, if the Cowboys don’t win the Super Bowl, Jerry Jones could grow impatient and chase after Belichick. Those personalities seem destined to clash, but the Cowboys are the more superior team for Belichick’s goal to pass Shula.
But reports likely will continue to link Belichick to the Chargers, especially with the head coach mum on his future. He reportedly isn’t interested in an “elegant solution” for Robert Kraft to figure out, so that would make a trade or a mutual parting of ways tough to figure out. The Patriots owner would have to outright fire Belichick, which could tarnish his legacy, especially after Tom Brady’s exit in 2020. A decision on Belichick’s future already has been decided, according to NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran, but optics could be the hold-up for the franchise.
Myers still is on the Chargers as the top choice for Belichick and seems to believe a trade is in the cards for the Patriots. It could shape up to be a complex situation for Kraft, who reportedly isn’t completely sold on Jerod Mayo as a successor — Mike Vrabel presumably would be the favorite depending on if the Titans want to part with the head coach.
What will be clear this offseason is all eyes will be on what the Patriots and Chargers do.
