With Bill Belichick and the Patriots heading towards a likely divorce, much of the focus has been on the future Hall of Fame coach’s next landing spot. Of course, if the Patriots do decide to move on from the iconic leader of their franchise, they’ll have a massive hole to fill themselves.
As Ben Volin of the Boston Globe writes, it seems like the Patriots’ initial plan was to keep Belichick on board through the 2024 campaign. At that time, they’d hand the reigns to Jerod Mayo, who spurned HC interviews last offseason to stick around as New England’s de facto defensive coordinator. Of course, following a dreadful 2023 campaign, Robert Kraft and co. are clearly having a change of heart…and that might not bode well for Mayo’s chances of being Belichick’s successor.
Volin notes that Mayo will obviously remain a candidate for the assumed HC vacancy, but he won’t be the only candidate. This is partly due to Mayo’s brief coaching resume, and ownership might prefer to jump start their rebuild with a more established voice in the locker room.
Some pundits have suggested that Mike Vrabel could take over for his former coach. While some reporters have thrown cold water on that notion, sources told Volin that the Titans coach could be a real possibility for the Patriots. Of course, since Vrabel is under contract, the Titans would likely require compensation from the Patriots, with Volin suggesting Tennessee would seek a first-round pick in return. Dianna Russini of The Athletic still rejects the connection, with the reporter definitively stating that the Patriots aren’t trading for Vrabel.
Outside of Mayo and Vrabel, there haven’t been many coaches connected to the potential opening. In fact, the vacancy might not be all that appealing, with two agents telling Volin that they wouldn’t recommend the gig to their clients. A new head coach would have to fill a massive “power vacuum,” as one agent explained, and that would include implementing an entirely new offensive and defensive philosophy. On the flip side, one agent told Volin that the job would be desirable considering the success of the Kraft family.
Another option could see the Patriots sticking to the status quo, with Volin saying the “path of least resistance” is to keep Belichick on the sideline for another year. Since Belichick is still under contract, it seems unlikely the Patriots would outright fire him; they’d still owe Belichick the remainder of his deal and they wouldn’t recoup any value when he inevitably lands another job. If the Patriots don’t like their head coaching options and aren’t getting suitable offers for their coach, they may simply decide to keep Belichick around for at least another year. Jeff Howe writes that Kraft could also reevaluate Belichick’s future if the Patriots finish the season on a winning streak. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com is in agreement with Howe, writing that a firing appears to be the least likely outcome, and that a strong performance to close the season could keep Belichick in Foxborough. For what it’s worth, Mike Reiss of ESPN.com notes that the team is continuing to play hard for its HC.
Of course, this decision isn’t entirely in the Patriots’ hands. Belichick has a bit of leverage in the situation, and it sounds like he’s just about done with his time in New England. Per Volin, Belichick is tired of Kraft’s “meddling,” tension that started with the organization’s decision to trade Jimmy Garoppolo and extended to this offseason when the Patriots brought in Bill O’Brien to guide the offense.
Jim Harbaugh would be perfect in New England. lol
Bad at cheating, as Bill and him were busted multiple times!
Is it ironic that McDaniels waited around so long to succeed Belichick, finally left and got fired again almost immediately, and now is watching from afar as Jerod Mayo assumed the position of “likely successor” in the span of about five or ten minutes?
Will trade Tomlin to Patsies for some draft picks
Great the squeelers can give us two first rounders
I know there have been rumors that the Steelers may move on from Tomlin, but I’m really skeptical that they’ll make a move. The play at QB -or lack there of, should I say- probably gives him a shield to hide behind for one more year. I think they try to upgrade at the position, and Tomlin comes back for the last year of his deal to see what happens.
All of that said, the Patriots would be crazy to hire Tomlin. They need to draft and develop a QB, something Tomlin hasn’t shown himself to be capable of in Pittsburgh. But, if you’re a Steelers fan, I totally understand you wanting to be rid of him.
Divorce? More like an abortion.
Great Googly Moogly
If that happens and they pass on Mayo, what a D… move. Asked him not to interview, then pass on them.
I’m sure they told him they’d give him a chance to get the head coaching job not a guarantee plus they alarmed gave him a big raise to keep him
There was no guarantee he would’ve even gotten a HC job the only team that wanted to interview him was the panthers
Probably true, so why not interview then?
Maybe because he wanted to stay in NE and learn under the best?
“when he inevitably lands another job.”
Why is anyone so sure Belichick would seek another job? His legacy is already looking a bit tattered, he lost his girlfriend, he stands virtually no chance of catching Shula’s win total, and he’ll soon be 72 years old. Not to mention he seemed to enjoy his Army/Navy broadcasting cameo…
Brady left NE for greener pastures in TB. TB had wrs had pieces on defense. Just needed a qb.
Bill probably heads for greener pastures in LAC
They have the franchise qb
They have pieces on offense including LT which are probably the 2 hardest pieces to find that and C
They have some pieces on defense
They have a top 10 if not top 5 pick coming in. Which knowing BB he will want to trade back and acquire multiple draft picks which from LACs perspective isn’t the worst idea. They have lots to fill.
Chargers just need a capable defense.
2021 NE finished top 10 in total defense. LAC 30th or something.
Last year NE finished mid 20s LAC in the teens and they made the playoffs.
This year NE sits top 10 again LAC dead last.
Does Josh McDaniels follow uncle Bill to the San Diego chargers of Los Angeles?
I heard BB to LAC but never thought of it as a fit… damn near bet my eyesight Ben Johnson (DET’s OC) will get the gig…
But reading all the key points you laid out… could be a great fit really. They need a defense and BB knows that better than anyone.
The only Hall of Fame that Belichick will get into is that for Cheaters.
Chargers need someone like DeMeco Ryans or Robert Saleh — with good defense and good coaching, you can be competitive in short order.
I would love to see him go there and fail spectacularly. Then, it will be proven once and for all that he sucks without Brady. Then I could add Herbert to the list of top QB’s he failed with along with Bledsoe, Testaverde and Kosar.
LAC makes sense. But BB is an east coast guy. Wouldn’t be surprised if he goes to the Redskins.
I don’t know what the Patriots plan is but the NFL needs a plan that forces people like Kraft, Jerry Jones, Stephen Ross etc. to relinquish ownership before they become fossilized like dinosaurs. All those owners are over 80 and spend most of their day medicated.
Why does it matter?
Bc they’re jealous.
I know people like that are just trolls, but it’s ridiculous what some people will spout.
David Tepper is 66, and probably the worst current owner in the NFL. He assumed that role from Dan Snyder, who is 59.
Age really has nothing to do with one’s ability to own a football team, or any sports team. The good owners will be good owners, and bad owners will be bad owners. To say someone should have to relinquish ownership at a certain age is something I strongly disagree with.
I agree with you, Outlaw. Of course, I will say that Brady and Belichick spoiled Kraft mightily as an owner for two decades. People have regarded him as a good owner, but to be honest, he’s never seemed to know too much to me. If the unconfirmed is true, he also very quickly became extremely meddlesome in the franchise, with mixed results, in the last five or six years. That probably didn’t help with their rebuild attempt, which didn’t need to take any more hits.
They should clean house and bring in a GM and a new coach. They would be morons to let Belichick pick a top 3 pick.
Belichick would likely trade down out of that spot anyway – as he loves cheap 3rd and 4th rounders.
Trading down out of a high pick when your team needs a lot of pieces is certainly not a bad thing, if you’re not completely sold as “needing” whomever’s fallen to you. A pick as high as New England’s will net them another first almost certainly, so they would still have something there in all likelihood.
The only reason to not do so is if you have a generational player available-there are a couple of good quarterbacks and a great wide receiver that NE needs. They’ll have to decide if Maye or Williams is as good as advertised for themselves, or anyone else. I’m not sure personally that, while very good and worth a first in general, Maye or Williams are generational and could not be had in most drafts myself. But I’m no expert. I don’t see a Burrow in this draft, but I also don’t see any reason why Maye or Williams couldn’t be franchise guys. So NE will have to decide if they’re really sold on them, or if they’re going to pull a Carolina and pick a QB high just for the sake of picking a QB high, with no support system and a new coach to boot.
NE needs receiving help and A LOT of offensive line help at a minimum to get their passing attack off the ground. There are a couple of good potential secondary or tertiary receivers on their roster, so a primary target would help. But the quarterback right now is getting no chance to throw. They could get help at multiple positions with a trade back. The depth at QB looks pretty good as well in the draft, in my opinion. Ewers, Leonard, and Rattler are all second tier prospects that may have qualified as top level ones in a weaker draft. We know that Williams and Maye are put at the top. The 1A sort of tier is also deeper than normal. You could argue for four guys there, with Nix, Penix Jr., and Daniels or Sanders. I’m not high on all of them as pros, myself, but most people are, so the class is deep. I wouldn’t say that it has the pro ready, no questions asked, just needs experience type starter, like Burrow or Lawrence, but there are a lot of options.
Of course, my crazy opinion is to go ahead and let Bill play out his contract, but hire a GM-during the current season, actually, as in right now-to take that responsibility away from him. See how it goes, let the GM evaluate the situation instead of Kraft, who has been taking things into his own hands a bit too much lately (no jokes here, just a happy…coincidence).
He’s 71 Years Old.
Step aside and retire already.
Make way for the younger generation.
Sit in front of the TV in your recliner,
With your remote, some beer and some munchies,
Critique those coaching the games,
Play the: I WOULD HAVE DONE THIS game.
Watch some shopping channels
Spend some of your accumulated wealth.
Every so often, check your bank balance….
I expect Kraft will hire a former Head Coach which he has always done. I think two strong candidates will be Jim Harbaugh and Dan Quinn. I can’t see Kraft staying the same course.