He may be considered the greatest NFL coach of all time, but Bill Belichick went through the 2024 season without a job. After six Super Bowl championships and 20 winning seasons in 24 years in New England, the Patriots let Belichick go after the 2023 campaign, and the teams that he flirted with during the ensuring off-season ended up going with other options.
But one of the best minds in football could be looking to get back into the game in 2025. There will be the usual handful of head coaching job openings, and we take a look at which ones might be the best fit for the 72-year-old.
Bill Belichick should coach the ___________ in 2025. 💭⤵️ pic.twitter.com/cyf6dMQ1VG
— theScore (@theScore) November 16, 2024
Which NFL Team Could Bill Belichick Coach In 2025?
Here are five NFL franchises who could be interested in bringing in Bill Belichick to be their leader in 2025 and beyond:
Chicago Bears
Many believe that Matt Eberflus should have been let go before the 2024 season after positions a 10-24 record in his first two years leading the Chicago Bears. But the team brought him back in the interest of consistency, and were hoping that he could make things work with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
And while things looked promising for a couple of weeks, the team has lost four straight games after their Week 7 bye. They’ve averaged just 11.5 points in those contests, a number far too low for a team with a #1 overall pick under center and a slew of healthy offensive weapons. The team is now 4-6, and none of their remaining 7 opponents currently has a losing record.
Does Chicago present a situation that Belichick would be interested in? It is unlikely that the coach would want to spend his mid-70s developing a young quarterback, but it will certainly be one of the rumored possible destinations if the job opens up.
New York Giants
Brian Daboll arrived in New York City with plenty of fan fare having been the offensive coordinator of Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills. But after sneaking into the playoffs in his first year with a 9-7-1 record, the Giants are 8-19 in the 27 games since, and few teams have performed worse than Big Blue through the first 11 weeks of the 2024 season.
Belichick initially rose to prominence in the coaching ranks as a member of the Giants. He was the team’s defensive coordinator during the late-80s and had his unit regularly ranked in the top-10, which eventually turned into him getting the head job in New England.
But would he be interested in returning? The Giants have one of the least-talented rosters in the NFL and have some serious quarterback issues, which should be two massive red flags for Belichick when deciding who to interview with. The added pressure and expectations of coaching in the city of New York is yet another reason why the Giants feel like a long shot.
Cincinnati Bengals
There haven’t been many rumors about his potential firing, but Zac Taylor’s seat could be heating up if the Bengals continue their losing ways this season. Quarterback Joe Burrow is leading the NFL is most of the important passing statistics, and Ja’Marr Chase is again one of the top wide receivers in the league. But despite their excellent statistical performances, Cincinnati is just 4-7 after their Week 11 loss and in serious danger of being eliminated from contention within the next couple of weeks.
In his two most successful seasons, Taylor brought the Bengals to a Super Bowl one year and a conference championship in the other. But during his four other seasons at the helm, Cincinnati is 19-40, and in danger of missing the playoffs for the second-straight year.
If Taylor is the scapegoat and is fired at the end of the year, then the job opening would certainly be one of the more attractive situations in the league. The offensive roster already has the talent and the franchise quarterback, but it is the defense that has been their Achilles heel and needs the most care and attention. That sounds like a job for a defensive mind like Belichick.
Cleveland Browns
Kevin Stefanski has led the Browns to two playoff appearances in his first four years in Cleveland, but things have fallen apart in 2024. The team is 2-8 in their first ten games of the season, tied with four other teams for the least amount of wins through Week 11. The issues run deeper than their head coach, but the 42-year-old Stefanski could still be one of the casualties this coming off-season.
Like the Giants, the Browns are a part of Belichick’s past. Cleveland was where he got his first NFL head coaching job, and was at the helm for five seasons and finished with a 36-44 record. But there would be a lot to clean up during the summer of 2025 and beyond, starting with the quarterback situation and Deshaun Watson’s massive, fully guaranteed contract.
It will take at least a couple of seasons to get the Browns back on track, which may not be a situation that Belichick has time for.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have a head coach who many believe should have been fired years ago. Dallas has regularly been one of the best regular season teams in recent memory, finishing 12-5 in each of the past five seasons. But the shortcomings have come in the playoffs where Mike McCarthy is 1-3, and the team is about ready to throw in the towel on the 2024 campaign after a 3-6 start.
This is where the rumors and speculation have been the loudest. This could very well be the offseason where Jerry Jones makes a coaching change, and there are multiple big names that could be available come the summer months. But would Jerry be willing to cede some of his power to someone like Belichick? And would Bill be interested in a situation with such a hands-on owner?
