The Patriots haven’t done much this season to help coach Bill Belichick pass Don Shula for the most coaching wins in NFL history.
But Belichick is still within range with 332 total career wins (regular season and playoffs), just 15 behind Shula (347). NBC Sports insider Peter King offered one solution for Belichick to eventually claim the all-time wins record before calling it a career.
“If Bill Belichick wants to break Don Shula’s record, and I really think that he does, he’s gonna have to do it in, pick a town,” King said on the God Bless Football podcast. “If I were him, I’d pick the Chargers because you got a quarterback.”
Los Angeles, of course, will be looking for a new head coach this offseason after firing Brandon Staley on Friday, one day after the Chargers’ embarrassing 42-point loss to the Raiders.
“If you look at what the Chargers have that Bill Belichick would want, this is a guy who’s gonna be 72 years old next opening day,” King said. “He’s got to think mentally, ‘Look, I don’t know how much longer I have.’ … If you leave New England, you need 15 wins, you’ve got to think that he could do enough with some good pieces on defense and with Justin Herbert to win 15 games in two years.”
“If Bill Belichick really wants to break Don Shula’s record…he’s gonna have to do it (for another team)…if I were him I’d pick the Chargers.”
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) December 15, 2023
- @peter_king joins @Stugotz790, @billygil, and @MikeASports on God Bless Football with a few bold predictions. 🏈
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Belichick’s future in New England has been the subject of speculation amid the team’s disappointing season, a sign that a change of scenery could be on the horizon.
Belichick enters Week 15 looking to lead the dysfunctional Patriots (3–10) into a home matchup against the Chiefs. The team will end the year with games against the Broncos, Bills and Jets.
New England’s tough four-game stretch could realistically add to a season of struggle that’s included glaring questions at quarterback, which, in King’s eyes, could compel Belichick to eye the Chargers and star Herbert as a favorable option.
