The former Patriots head coach could be without a team in 2024.
Bill Belichick is a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, the winningest coach in modern NFL history and is available for employment for the first time in a quarter century. And yet it seems increasingly likely that he will not serve as head coach in 2024.
The Atlanta Falcons, the only team he interviewed with after parting ways with the New England Patriots, have decided to go in a different direction as head coach. With Raheem Morris taking over the position and Belichick not being linked to the only other open spots – the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders – the future appears to be secure for the soon-to-be 72-year-old.
In fact, it would be a significant development for the league and his former club if Belichick didn't have a head coaching job next season. There are four key areas where the Patriots could be affected.
No. 1: Steve and Brian Belichick
The team has offered both of Belichick's sons to stay with the organization, new Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo confirmed. With the elder Belichick apparently on track to retire from being a head coach in 2024, they could take advantage of this opportunity and stay put for the upcoming season.
That would be good news for New England, as both Steve and Brian Belichick have been instrumental to the team's defensive success in recent seasons.
Steve joined his father's staff as an assistant in 2012 and climbed the career ladder over the next few years. Although he is still only listed as a position coach, he has effectively called the shots alongside Mayo on that side in recent seasons. The two have developed a productive relationship, the continuation of which would likely benefit the first-time head coach in 2024.
Brian, on the other hand, has been with the team since 2016. He was named safeties coach in 2020 and has held that position ever since, helping to build one of the strongest position groups on the roster year after year.
While it remains to be seen what roles they will play on Mayo's staff, their knowledge of the system and proven track record speak for themselves. For the Patriots to keep Belichick's sons would be a definite win — one made more likely now that their father isn't joining the Falcons.
No. 2: Other Patriots players and coaches
Steve and Brian Belichick are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential departures from New England. Players and coaches alike would have been in the spotlight if Belichick had become the next head coach of the Falcons or any other team.
Of course, that doesn't mean there won't be any staffing and personnel changes. However, the Belichick factor as a competing force on another team may no longer matter.
No. 3: The offensive coordinator search
While the first two points above are both positive from the Patriots' perspective, #3 may not be positive. The appointment of Raheem Morris as the Falcons' head coach instead of Belichick means the structure of New England's coaching staff may have changed as well.
After all, Morris has worked with two of Jerod Mayo's four reported offensive coordinator targets: Zac Robinson and Nick Caley were both on the same Los Angeles Rams staff as him in 2023. While Morris worked as a defensive coordinator, it would not be surprising that he would value familiarity and select one or both assistant coaches for his new staff in Atlanta.
As a result, the Patriots could see all four OC candidates they interviewed join other teams. In addition to Robinson and Caley, they also looked at Dan Pitcher and Shane Waldron, who have already agreed to positions with the Cincinnati Bengals and Chicago Bears, respectively.
No. 4: Josh McDaniels
In the event that the Patriots miss all of their reported targets at offensive coordinator, Josh McDaniels could be a name to keep an eye on. The former New England OC and quarterbacks coach, who was fired as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in October, would have been a candidate to reunite with Belichick in Atlanta or wherever he ended up.
Now, however, this view seems to have changed. As a result, a potential return to New England could once again be on the cards.
McDaniels differs from the four offensive coordinator candidates mentioned above: He spent virtually his entire coaching career running the Patriots' modified Erhardt-Perkins system and has no experience with the so-called Shanahan system, in which Robinson, Caley, pitchers and Waldron have operated in the past.
Of course, he's had great success in New England – including during the team's final playoff season in 2021 – and would bring something the club's new head coach doesn't have, at least at his position: experience. McDaniels has plenty of that as an OC, which allowed him to run the Patriots' offense with near autonomy during his second tenure with the franchise. This, in turn, helped Bill Belichick focus on other areas.
There are pros and cons to re-hiring Josh McDaniels in any capacity. For now, though, let's focus on one simple fact: With Belichick not becoming the Falcons' head coach, one of the league's most experienced offensive coordinators will likely remain available for now.
On a related note, the Falcons' move for Raheem Morris also means that Mike Vrabel may not be a head coach in the NFL in 2024. The Patriots and Vrabel have a great affinity for each other, and him returning to his former club – possibly as an agent of sorts – could also be an option.
Read more