Bill Belichick's future as New England Patriots head coach figures to be one of the top storylines surrounding the team over the next month or so.
The Patriots have the NFL's third-worst record at 2-9, and the franchise is destined for its third losing season since Tom Brady departed as a free agent in 2020.
Belichick is under contract for the 2024 campaign, so if he's not fired after the season, the only way he could change teams is via trade.
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Which teams would make sense for Belichick? Ex-Patriots safety Devin McCourty brought up two possibilities during an appearance Wednesday on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show.
“Buffalo I do like,” McCourty said. “I don’t think Sean McDermott is lasting after this year. The hard thing in this league is once you start firing coordinators and stuff — you fire Leslie Frazier, then you fire Ken Dorsey. To me, the next thing is the owner fires you. I think a Buffalo or a Chargers.
"Those are two teams that, when you look at it, they have all of the pieces that it takes. I think any owner who’s been in the league, you’ve lost to this guy over and over and over again. Like, you’re not going to magically think he no longer knows what he’s doing. So, if it doesn’t work out and he doesn’t stay in New England, I think there are going to be so many teams (interested).”
McCourty later added: “I think it would be scary for the league, putting him with one of these top quarterbacks, a Josh Allen, a (Justin) Herbert. I think it definitely could be. The interesting thing about Buffalo is it gives them a chance to stay in the AFC East, which would be very, very fun to watch."
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The Bills are much closer to competing for a Super Bowl than some other potential landing spots for Belichick, such as the Commanders, Chargers and Panthers. This means the Bills also offer Belichick a chance to break Don Shula's all-time coaching wins record sooner rather than later.
If the Bills clean house, pursuing Belichick would be a wise move for them. Buffalo isn't in a position to hire a young, inexperienced coach when you consider the franchise's window to win is right now.
Buffalo has reached the playoffs four consecutive seasons, but despite having a ton of talent and an elite quarterback in Josh Allen, the Bills have advanced to just one AFC Championship Game during that span. Could a coach of Belichick's caliber get them over the finish line?
Another question is: Would the Patriots actually trade Belichick to a division rival? It's obviously not the most ideal scenario, but if the Bills are willing to offer a strong package (perhaps a first-round pick?) then the Patriots should at least consider it.