Multiple NFL teams are likely to part ways with their head coaches later this season. If and when they do, they would be foolish not to at least check in on future Hall of Famer Bill Belichick.
The former New England Patriots head coach is working as a football analyst for multiple media companies after failing to land a new gig in the offseason. As a six-time Super Bowl champion, he should be at the top of the list of candidates for teams with head-coaching vacancies later this year and in 2025.
Would Belichick consider a mid-season return to coaching? NBC Sports Boston's Patriots insider Phil Perry shares his thoughts on Monday's Early Edition.
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"I'm not sure he would want to do it that way," Perry said. "And I do believe he wants to get back into coaching, but I also believe he wants his program to be set up and structured the way that he wants it. He's a creature of habit in that regard, and obviously his habits have been thrown off a tad this year. But taking over mid-season feels like it could be really difficult and it has the potential to go really poorly.
"So if you're able to, on the other hand, start with a full offseason and go through a full training camp and have everything set up the way you like and have your depth charts the way you want them, that to me feels more secure, more stable, sets you up for success in a better way than taking over mid-season and potentially having it go poorly. And then at the end of the season, (Dallas Cowboys owner) Jerry Jones could sit there and say, 'Hey, Bill, we gave you a shot seven games into the season, we gave you 10 games and you couldn't get it figured out. 'And Belichick would be sitting there saying, palms to the sky, 'What did you want me to do?' ... I'm not sure he would want to do that."
A recent report stated that "people close to Belichick say they believe he still wants to coach -- at least long enough to get the 15 wins he needs to surpass Don Shula atop the all-time wins list -- and that he'll have his eye on potential opportunities as this season goes along." ESPN's Adam Schefter added that Belichick is "expected to be choosy if and when he returns to the sideline."
Still, Early Edition host Tom Giles isn't as convinced Belichick would turn down a mid-season coaching opportunity.
"If he takes over mid-season, it's gonna be for a team that's really struggling, really underachieving," Giles said. "So, I actually think that there's the possibility that you just walk in, you win a few games.
"And I wouldn't expect him to turn someone around immediately and bring them to the Super Bowl, but I could also see him saying --- maybe he gets sick of doing 10 media jobs a week or maybe he looks at it and says, 'If someone's willing to hire me mid-season, this is an opportunity and I'm sick of waiting around."
If Belichick does return as a head coach, the NFC East seems like his most probable landing spot. The New York Giants and Cowboys are both 1-2 with head coaches Brian Daboll and Mike McCarthy potentially on the hot seat. The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-1, but coach Nick Sirianni may also be a short leash if his team again fails to meet expectations.
In the meantime, Belichick will continue sharing his unique analysis on the Pat McAfee Show, the ManningCast, and his COACH podcast.