Bill Belichick left the New England Patriots after 24 successful seasons with the franchise. He won six Super Bowls with the team and is widely regarded as the greatest head coach in NFL history.
Belichick interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons head coach position after leaving the Patriots, but the Falcons opted to go with Raheem Morris. Atlanta did not make the wrong decision, as the team is 6-3 to start the season and is a Super Bowl contender this season.
As for Belichick, he will look forward to opportunities after the 2024 NFL season, and various teams will likely be interested in him. But for which team will the former Patriots head coach make the most sense? Bill Simmons believes it is a struggling AFC South franchise that has started the season 2-7 through nine weeks.
Bill Simmons Tabs AFC South Franchise as a Landing Spot for Bill Belichick
In a recent conversation on “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” the lifelong Patriots fan said that the Jacksonville Jaguars seem like an ideal fit for the legendary head coach.
“Belichick is on a six-month [stretch of] trying to prove to everybody what an awesome personality he is … and here’s much I know about football, and look how personable I am,” Simmons said.
Simmons does not think Belichick will go to the New York Giants due to his relationship with Brian Daboll. Moreover, the Giants’ owner John Mara recently said that he will not fire their general manager and head coach despite their disappointing performance this season. Simmons, however, thinks that the Jacksonville Jaguars will be an ideal fit for Belichick.
“[Belichick] can get one of these jobs in February. I think he likes Daboll; I think that part is probably awkward, and it feels like for the Giants, it would have to be a complete house-cleaning, right?”
“I still feel like Jacksonville is gonna be the team for him … They’re building a new arena — you hand the franchise to this guy, he’s a legend, here’s our new arena, here’s Bill Belichick, here’s Trevor Lawrence.”
The Jaguars are 2-7 this season, and Doug Pederson is on the hot seat and will face questions the rest of the season. The team has not played well on both sides of the ball and has failed to get the best out of Lawrence. Moreover, the Jaguars quarterback is also expected to miss time due to a shoulder injury, which worsens the chances of Pederson keeping his job.
Lawrence did sign a five-year, $275 million contract extension in the offseason, which means the franchise views him as their quarterback for years to come. As a result, the only thing they can do is hire a new head coach.
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Jacksonville will be a good spot for Belichick as he will have a quarterback who has shown that he can play well in the NFL under the right circumstances. The Jaguars currently have the league’s third-worst scoring defense, and it’s hard to win games for a quarterback when his team is giving up an average of 27.8 points per game.
Belichick will change the culture of the Jaguars franchise, and no matter what people say about him, his team will always have a good defense. At this point in his career, Lawrence needs a coach who will coach him hard, and getting Belichick should be a priority for the Jaguars this offseason.
Which Teams Should Belichick Target for 2025?
Simmons also mentioned that Belichick will prioritize going to a team that already has its quarterback. Belichick (333) is 14 wins behind Don Shula (347) among the head coaches with the most wins in NFL history; to achieve that milestone, the Patriots legend can’t risk coaching for a rebuilding team like the Las Vegas Raiders or New Orleans Saints.
The Jaguars are an ideal fit for him, but the best landing spot is undoubtedly Philadelphia. Nick Sirianni is under pressure, and if the team fails to make a deep playoff run, he will likely get fired.
Pairing Belichick with a quarterback like Jalen Hurts and offensive weapons like A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, and Saquon Barkley will be a recipe for success. Moreover, the Eagles also have young, emerging players on defense like Jalen Carter, Cooper DeJean, Quinyon Mitchell, and Nakobe Dean, all of whom will benefit a lot by working under Belichick.
Dallas is another team that could be interested in the legendary head coach, but it will be better for Belichick if he gets a job where there is not much interference from the owner.