The biggest free agent of the upcoming NFL offseason appears to be Bill Belichick.
Initially unable to find coaching work after being cut from New England at the end of last season, the 72-year-old has now been linked to virtually every struggling team outside of his nemesis, the New York Jets.
This time it’s the Jacksonville Jaguars who have reportedly emerged as a team to watch in the pursuit of Belichick.
“Let’s dig deeper into this because there’s been a lot of talk about Bill Belichick taking that job,” The Athletic’s Dianna Russini said on a recent episode of the Scoop City podcast. “I can tell you that Belichick certainly has his eye on this opening in Jacksonville. This is an organization that has a lot of respect for Belichick. They already have a good relationship.’
To be clear: there is no opening yet. Head coach Doug Pederson will remain employed. But with starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence dealing with shoulder problems and the team falling to 2-9 with Sunday’s 52-6 win in Detroit, the Jags appear to have resigned themselves to their fate.
The biggest free agent of the upcoming NFL offseason appears to be Bill Belichick
In Lawrence’s place, Pederson has drafted Belichick’s former punching bag, Mac Jones, although the backup quarterback’s future in his native Jacksonville could come to an end if his former coach were to replace his current one. Belichick’s 2023 decision to bench Jones, a former first-round pick, was one of the biggest storylines of the coach’s final season in Foxborough.
For better or worse, the Jags are committed to Lawrence for at least the next four years, albeit with a cap hit that will grow to $47 million in 2028.
In addition to the quarterback, the Jaguars have a talented young receiver in Brian Thomas Jr. and an established pass rusher in Joshua Hines-Allen, with some roster flexibility to boot.
The question remains who would be in charge in Jacksonville. It’s unclear whether current general manager Trent Baalke will be retained and if so, whether he and Belichick are willing to work together.
The pair has some history with the Jets under head coach Bill Parcells when Belichick served as that team’s defensive coordinator.
Doug Pederson is reportedly on the hot seat in Jacksonville, where the Jaguars are just 2-9
And at least one NFL insider says Belichick isn’t fixated on serving as GM, as he effectively did in New England.
“Bill is honest about it,” Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson told WQAM 560 AM’s “The Joe Rose Show.” “He said, ‘Hey, I don’t have to be in charge of everything.’
“That’s what happened in New England,” Johnson continued. “He got into that deal, and it’s not necessarily that he pushed for it. That’s what happened because he was there so long. He is happy to leave the decision-making to the general manager and the personnel people.’
Still, like Rusini reported this earlierBelichick wants “as much authority as he can get” in any future job.
Belichick interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons job after leaving New England, but was ultimately passed over in favor of Raheem Morris.
Other potential job openings that could tempt him include Mike McCarthy’s job with the Dallas Cowboys or New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll’s position at Belichick’s old stomping ground in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Other positions in Chicago and Las Vegas are also possible, with the latter offering the intriguing possibility of a reunion with minority owner Tom Brady.