Before Week 11’s Sunday Night Football Game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Chargers, Mike Florio floated a potential scenario that would have Bill Belichick replace a head coach who once defeated him in a Super Bowl.
The Jacksonville Jaguars were routed by the Detroit Lions on Sunday, losing 52-6. It was another embarrassing loss in what’s been a disastrous season for the Jaguars, who now sit at 2-9. Naturally, the job security of head coach Doug Pederson has been called into question. During Sunday’s Football Night in America, Florio not only suggested that Belichick could end up in Jacksonville — but laid out exactly how it could happen.
“Before the season started, team owner Shad Khan said, ‘This is the best team the Jaguars have ever assembled. Let’s prove it by winning now.’ So here we are — 2-9, worst loss today in franchise history. Bye week coming up. Doug Pederson was asked after the game about the possibility of being fired. He said, ‘If it’s gonna happen, it’s gonna happen.’ And it could happen soon.
“Now, what about the guy who put together the best team ever assembled — general manager Trent Baalke? I’ve talked to several people throughout the league and there’s a belief in some circles he could potentially survive into next year as part of a package deal that would reunite him with someone he worked with back in 1998 and 1999 with the New York Jets. That coach is available, he’s won a few Super Bowls. His name is Bill Belichick.”
Mike Florio reports on Football Night in America that Jaguars GM Trent Baalke could keep his job into next season… and be joined “as part of a package deal” in Jacksonville by Bill Belichick as the new head coach. #NFL pic.twitter.com/qTeYx5pa0O
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) November 18, 2024
Indeed, Baalke’s first job in the NFL was as a scout for the Jets from 1998-2000. Belichick was an assistant and defensive coordinator for Bill Parcells from 1997-1999. So certainly the two men have shared experiences.
There are still several questions that must be asked. A big one is, would Belichick be interested in taking over a job with an inherited general manager? This is particularly relevant in the case of Baalke. The Jaguars are 24-54 since Baalke joined the organization in 2020 and 23-39 since 2021, his first full season as general manager. Additionally, the San Francisco 49ers took a sharp downturn with Baalke as general manager after the departure of coach Jim Harbaugh. After going 44-19-1 in four years under Harbaugh, San Francisco went 7-25 in 2015 and 2016, leading to Baalke being fired.
Regardless of Belichick’s history with Baalke, would he want to take a job with a general manager whose track record of success is, at best, mixed? He’s certainly carved out a place for himself as a member of NFL media. There are also other potential openings he’s been tied to, even if only in speculation.
That said, Belichick also struck out in his quest to be a coach last offseason. So, the likelihood of Florio’s theory ever coming to pass may just depend on how badly Belichick, who will be 73 in April, wants to get back into coaching.
