At a few points during the Kyle Shanahan era, the 49ers showed interest in Tom Brady. One of those memorably included John Lynch asking about the then-Patriots quarterback and Bill Belichick quickly dismissing anything of the sort. With Brady now retired, the 49ers did turn their attention to his longtime head coach.
Famously going just 1-for-8 in terms of interviews with HC-needy teams this offseason, Belichick is set to sit out the year. He has booked multiple TV gigs — with the Manningcast and Inside the NFL — but remains interested in returning to the NFL in 2025. This will, however, be Belichick’s first season out of the NFL since 1974. Shanahan attempted to see if he could change that.
The 49ers extended an invitation for Belichick to join their staff in some capacity, giving the 24-year Patriots HC the option of choosing a role. It is unclear if this overture took place before the 49ers decided on Nick Sorensen as their DC, but Belichick undoubtedly could have held a key role with San Francisco’s defense had he sought one.
“I threw it all out to him, like whatever he’d want to do. I was like, would you be interested?” Shanahan said, via The Athletic’s Tim Kawakami (subscription required). “He was very nice and appreciative, but he politely turned me down. He loves football so much that you never know what he would want.”
Belichick did memorably send Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers at the 2017 trade deadline, after having aimed to avoid trading Brady’s then-backup. The 49ers quickly accepted, sending a second-round pick to the Pats for a player who became their starting quarterback through the 2022 season. This mutually respectful relationship may again feature the two coaching against one another, but that will not come in 2024.
Only the Falcons interviewed Belichick for their HC job, though the Commanders spoke with the eight-time Super Bowl winner (two as a DC). The 49ers also had Steve Spagnuolo on their radar for the DC position, but the Chiefs quickly extended their standout defensive play-caller. Belichick, 72, has not held a non-HC or coordinator role in the NFL since 1996, when he served as the Pats’ DBs coach under Bill Parcells. He will still try for another chance at a top job in 2025, and the 49ers will almost definitely not be on his radar.
The NFC East continues to come up here, as ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler said during an appearance on Talkin’ Ball with Pat Leonard (of the New York Daily News) Belichick would likely want the Eagles‘ job “in the worst way.” NBC Sports Boston’s Tom Curran also pointed to this being a fit, saying the Eagles would be the more likely destination compared to a Cowboys or Giants landing.
Philly and Dallas looked into Belichick this offseason but stuck with their existing HCs. Nick Sirianni may not have been all that close to the hot seat, but the Super Bowl HC hired new offensive and defensive coordinators. After a second-half collapse, Sirianni should not be considered especially safe going into his fourth season in charge. Mike McCarthy is famously on a lame-duck contract, which he admitted Wednesday (via the Dallas Morning News’ David Moore) is “a challenge.”
The Giants also have not featured much patience post-Tom Coughlin, though their HCs in that span have given them little reason to stay the course. Two years after a Coach of the Year season, Brian Daboll has moved toward a hot seat. Belichick reuniting with the Giants would be a fascinating storyline, as he collected his first two rings as Parcells’ DC from 1985-90. But Big Blue may be transitioning at quarterback next year. The Cowboys and Eagles are closer to contention, and Fowler noted earlier this offseason the appeal these two teams — along with the Giants — would have for Belichick.
The 29-year HC veteran is a Howie Roseman fan as well, per Curran. Belichick was ready to cede some personnel control had he landed the Falcons gig. A partnership with the Eagles or Cowboys, where established front office hierarchies are in place, would not feature nearly the level of control Belichick held in New England.
With no NFL HC being hired past age 66, Belichick may only have one more offseason as a realistic candidate. His running ties to NFC East clubs stand to make the 2025 cycle one of the most memorable in modern NFL history.
