This is NOT a Hit Piece. By All Accounts, Bill Belichick is Unemployable...

Al Bello. Getty Images.

If Bill Belichick knew there was good chance he would be leaving the Patriots at the end of the 2023 season, as some have suggested, you would’ve thought he’d do everything in his power as head coach and GM to have a winning season. He didn’t…

Finishing 4-13 in 2023, 29-38 in the four years post-Brady, benching his starting quarterback the final five games and not sooner, and then declaring him inactive for the last game, wasn’t a good look for a 71-year-old coach looking for another gig in 2024. 

For all the naysayers who believe the Patriots success under Belichick was “all Brady”, there are plenty of numbers to prove their point. Throw in a Super Bowl win and MVP for Brady his first year out of New England, and it’s hard to argue with them. 

Patrick Smith. Getty Images.

For all the yeasayers who still believe “In Bill We Trust”, with only one playoff appearance post-Brady, a one and done Wild Card loss, it has become harder to argue that Bill is still playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers. It appears the league has not only caught up with him, but in many areas, surpassed him. 

From Belichick’s mishandling of Brady’s departure, to him hiring a DC to be his OC, to his role in Mac Jones’ steady decline, to him being unable to shore up his offensive line, to his poor drafting and free agent signings, other than fielding a top defense, he started failing at most other aspects of his job. And this from a head coach who made only one demand of his players, “Do your job”. 

Belichick was/is a systems coach, believing the system made the player, not the other way around. By letting good players demanding higher salaries walk, maybe he was trying to prove his point, and for a while at least, it worked. 

As he got older, Belichick became more vindictive and stubborn. His coaching methods, ones that once served him well, have become dated and less effective. In a league where offense currently rules, Belichick teams have fallen short. Combine all that with him wanting total control, and he’s not a very appealing candidate for a head coaching position at this point in his career. 

Adam Glanzman. Getty Images.

Unless something unexpected happens, all the NFL coaching vacancies for 2024 have been filled. Belichick is currently unemployed, and maybe worse. Because of his age, recent history, and the direction the NFL has taken, he may be unemployable going forward. 

It has been suggested he sit out a year and wait for the next wave of firings. By then, Belichick will be trying to return to coaching at 73, and that seems even less likely than at 72. Waiting a year will do little to improve his chances. 

Advertisement

To save face, perhaps Belichick would be better off announcing his retirement and riding off into the sunset as the second winningest coach in NFL history… 

Hanging on and maybe finding a head coaching position in 2025, and winning 6-7 games, will only further damage his legacy. And it won’t be enough to surpass Don Shula…