New England Patriots legend Bill Belichick struck out looking for a head coaching job on the open market this offseason.
Belichick won’t be on an NFL sideline for the first time in 49 years this season and could ride off into the sunset as he stays around the game in various media roles. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s itching to get back into coaching.
And there’s one landing spot in particular ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler believes Belichick would covet if all the pieces fall into next offseason.
“Belichick I think will be more in a position of power than he was a year ago,” Fowler said on the “Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard” podcast. “And I think the shock value was still high, like, ‘What just happened in New England and why did it all fell apart and do we really want to give Belichick all this control at his age?’ But if Philly opens, it’s just a perfect fit in my opinion. I think he would want that job in the worst way in my sense.”
Current Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is on the hot seat with Philadelphia. He guided the Eagles to a Super Bowl appearance two seasons ago but Philadelphia underperformed last season and bowed out in the wild-card round with a 32-9 blowout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If the Eagles, who field a star-studded roster, fail to meet expectations again this season, it could mean Sirianni is on his way out and Belichick is on his way in. And as Fowler mentioned, there could be less candidates this time standing in Belichick’s way and heading to Philadelphia seems like it would check some boxes for the former Patriots head coach.
But the Eagles aren’t the only possible destination for Belichick. The Dallas Cowboys could emerge as a suitor for Belichick’s services if things continue to deteriorate under Mike McCarthy, who surprisingly was retained after his own abject failure in the postseason.
“Big names, ready to win now,” Fowler said. “… If one of those opens or both opens, I could certainly see it. The Jones’ (family) have a long-standing relationship with Bill Belichick and I could see it happening.”
