It appears that Bill Belichick, the 71-year-old former head coach of the New England Patriots, will not be leading an NFL team next season. Despite being granted an interview by the Atlanta Falcons, they ultimately chose to hire Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris instead, despite Belichick generating significant interest.
Every head coaching vacancy has been filled, with the exception of the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks, who are likely eying coordinators who will be playing for a trip to the Super Bowl this weekend. And while those teams may not be interested in Belichick per se, that doesn’t mean the future Hall of Fame head coach isn’t generating interest elsewhere.
In fact, Bill Simmons recently offered Belichick a gig at The Ringer. And on the heels of that, Pat McAfee and friends have also thrown their hat into the ring. During a segment on Friday’s The Pat McAfee Show, the ex-Indianapolis Colts punter and College GameDay personality made it clear that — like it or not — his show will be in the running for Belichick’s services.
“I will make this promise, that if Bill Belichick is gonna do TV, ‘ol Pat McAfee will be in the running to try to get Bill Belichick to join our program,” – The Pat McAfee Show throwing their hat in the ring for the future Hall of Fame head coach’s services. pic.twitter.com/6Ix4oSoSIA
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 27, 2024
“I will make this promise that if Bill Belichick is gonna go do TV, ‘ol Pat McAfee will be in the running to try to get Bill Belichick to join our program,” McAfee said. “The amount of questions as soon as I see him — that may be the reason he doesn’t want it, but our group of humans never-ending questions to Bill Belichick, who literally knows everything about the NFL…Every game that’s ever been played, seemingly he has a rolodex of all of it. Every player that’s ever been great — that’s why he was so great on [NFL 100 All-Time Team]….And after what we saw on College GameDay, he’s got moxie too. He’s great on TV; I think we’ll all be incredibly lucky if that’s the case.”
During GameDay before the Army-Navy game, Belichick brought it and displayed great chemistry with McAfee. It’s worth noting that Nick Saban, who was a regular guest on The McAfee Show during his final seasons at the University of Alabama, has a close relationship with Belichick. Although this doesn’t necessarily make McAfee’s show a candidate for Belichick’s services, it’s clear that he has a good rapport with another Hall of Fame coach.
As Belichick enters the twilight of his coaching career, the NFL might lose a legend on the sidelines, but the media landscape could gain a captivating new voice. Whether that’s with The Pat McAfee Show certainly remains to be seen. Still, it would definitely be an upset if Belichick is not involved in football in some capacity by 2024, whether it be in the media, on the sidelines, or in a front office.
