6 rings: One-Off Wednesday: What to make of the latest J.J. McCarthy NFL Draft rumors & buzz
Former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick [man, it’s still weird writing ‘former’] has been back in the spotlight over the last couple of days after speaking at two coaching clinics this past weekend.
His first stop was in Lincoln, where he not only headlined the Nebraska Football X&O’s clinic, but also spoke with the Cornhusker’s coaching staff.
For over 4.5 hours.
“He is so smart [and] has seen so much that he can make the complex so simple,” said Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule when explaining how his staff’s meeting with Belichick went. “It humbles you and embarrasses you. I was embarrassed yesterday listening to him – how smart he is. How simple it is.”
He continued: “3.5 hours in I was like, ‘Coach, would you like a water? Cup of coffee? Would you like to use the restroom?’ Cuz I desperately had to use the restroom. And he was like, ‘I’m fine Matt,’ and I was like, ‘Yes, sir’.”
“And just sitting there, and just talking,” Rhule went on. “And just his recall from things 15 years ago… You know, the only reason why we [didn’t] get through more information is because he’s having to slow down to make sure you understand what he’s saying.”
Following his visit to Nebraska, Belichick made his way to the Pacific Northwest, again speaking at a coaching clinic. This time? Keynoting the ‘Be a Pro Coaching Clinic’ at the University of Washington, where his son Steve is the defensive coordinator.
Following his speaking engagement, Belichick was seen at the Huskies’ Saturday spring ball practice, strolling the field donning UW gear alongside head coach Jedd Fisch. The photo of him in non-Patriots attire felt more like an AI-generated image than a living football legend doing what he can to remain connected to the game that he’s been entrenched in for the better part of his life.
Belichick’s appearances (and the stories told of him) over the course of the last 84+ hours have since sparked a simple question across both the NFL and Patriots nation alike:
“How the **** does Bill Belichick not have a job?!”
From a 30,000-foot view, it does sound crazy that the coach who brought New England to nine Super Bowls (winning six) while tallying 333 total wins (226 regular season & 31 postseason) was somehow left out of the 2024 coaching carousel.
But it’s not nearly that simple.
Belichick turns 72 next Tuesday. He’s just 12 wins away from the all-time record. He’s likely not interested in a long-term rebuild. The Nantucket dweller would likely prefer to be on the island full-time by age 75 rather than game planning for a middling franchise.
And for said rebuilding teams, they don’t want to do this process all over again in three years when Belichick decided to hang up the whistle and cut off sweatshirt for good.
So, when team’s like the Commanders, Seahawks, Raiders, Panthers, and Titans were looking for a new head coach this offseason, it was understandable that neither them, nor Belichick, were interested in a marriage.
The other two squads that hired head coaches this cycle were the Chargers and Falcons – but Jim Harbaugh and Raheem Morris (who kicked butt in his opening team meeting in Atlanta) aren’t necessarily hires to scoff at.
As far Belichick’s time with the Patriots, and if Robert Kraft and co. Made a mistake moving on from the sharp savant, I think most would agree that it was simply time.
But two things can be true at once: Belichick’s time in New England had run it’s course, and the game has far from passed him by.
So will the hoodie coach again? Who’s to say. But for what it’s worth, Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers certainly thinks so:
“Absolutely. I don’t think he’s done yet,” Peppers answered when asked if his former HC will return to the sideline. “If I know him– and I think I [do], I don’t think he’s done yet.”
Belichick’s effective free agency and his willingness to remain around the game, if anything, will make next offseason’s coaching carousel that much more interesting.
Make sure to follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick, and follow @WEEI for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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