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Devin McCourty knows which two NFL teams are “scary” fits for New England Patriots’ head coach Bill Belichick. Former Pats’ safety McCourty thinks six-time Super Bowl winner Belichick leaving to join the Buffalo Bills and quarterback Josh Allen or Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers “would be scary for the league.”
Belichick leaving New England for one of the Pats’ AFC East rivals would be a bitter pill for some, but McCourty told WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” seeing his old coach in Buffalo “would be very, very fun to watch.”
McCourty identified why he thinks Bills’ boss Sean McDermott is on borrowed time: “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.”
Would Belichick relish the idea of coaching twice a year against the Patriots? His storied history with the franchise suggests not, but the 71-year-old could be motivated by a measure of revenge if he’s forced out by owner Robert Kraft after this season.
Belichick’s position is under no-small amount of threat, and the ongoing amount of speculation makes his exit from Gillette Stadium seem inevitable at this point.
Patriots Would Surely Prevent Bill Belichick From Joining Bills
Kraft has some cards to play, even if he does want Belichick gone. Notably, the latter signing a “lucrative, multi-year, new contract,” a development reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport on October 22.
While that news appeared to secure Belichick’s future with the Patriots, appearances were deceptive. Further context came from Rapoport on November 12, when he revealed Belichick is in fact only “under contract at least this year and next year.”
Significantly, Rapoport also noted the Patriots “would at least want some sort of compensation” to let Belichick out of his deal. If Kraft is going to hold an auction, he’d surely charge too high a price for a divisional rival to secure Belichick’s services.
A lot of gloss has been removed from the Belichick mystique in recent years. Especially while he’s facing a third losing season out of four since Tom Brady left town in 2020.
Even so, Kraft would be wise not to run the risk of letting Belichick possibly rediscover the old magic so close to home. It’s more likely, if he goes, Belichick gets to continue his coaching journey away from the AFC East.
Bill Belichick Will Have No Shortage of Options
The aura of Belichick may be losing credibility, but his championship-laden CV will still appeal to many teams. It’s why Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports named NFC East rivals the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders as potential suitors.
Meanwhile, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay put the Chicago Bears and New York Giants on his list. Former Patriots’ signal-caller Cam Newton, who started for Belichick in 2020, named the Carolina Panthers as a team “hoping” to sign the veteran sideline general.
The implication is clear. Belichick won’t be lacking for suitors if he suddenly finds himself out of work early in 2024.
If he has his pick, then quarterback could be a determining factor for Belichick. McCourty hit upon this idea with his reference to Pro-Bowl passers Allen and Herbert.
Belichick would need to inherit stability at football’s most important position because he’s been able to create precious little of it in New England without Brady. His attempts to rebuild began with Newton, were followed by drafting Mac Jones and now apparently hinge on Bailey Zappe.
The failure to recover from Brady’s departure is the main reason Belichick finds himself under pressure. If another team can offer a QB situation he doesn’t need to worry about, Belichick may welcome pastures new.
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