Getty Bill Belichick could land in Tampa Bay next.
Bill Belichick could follow in the footsteps of Tom Brady and leave the New England Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
It could happen in a vastly different way, however, with two coaches on the hot seat. Buccaneers insider Ira Kaufman discussed the possibility of Belichick joining the Buccaneers as his next coaching destination during the “Ira Kaufman Podcast” recently according to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
The Patriots remain mired in a dismal season at 2-7, and Belichick could lose his head coaching job if the team falls to the Indianapolis Colts in Germany according to the Boston Globe’s Ben Volin. Tampa Bay meanwhile remains stuck in a four-game losing streak, which reignited rumors of head coach Todd Bowles losing his job sooner or later.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has ties to Belichick from their time in New England, which Kaufman and company discussed per Florio. Licht served in player personnel roles with the Patriots in 2002 and 2009-2011 before he joined the Buccaneers in 2014.
The Kaufman podcast team, according to Florio, noted that Licht and Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien share the same agent. The Buccaneers previously had O’Brien on the offensive coordinator radar this year before he opted for New England.
Kaufman and company discussed that the Buccaneers have gone for big-name head coaches in the past, Florio wrote. That includes former Buccaneers head coach Greg Schiano, a recommendation by Belichick, and the franchise had Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden before. Tampa Bay previously pursued Bill Parcells in 2002 plus Bill Cowher and Chip Kelly at different points.
Buccaneers Don’t Have Recent Precedent for Midseason Firing
Whether or not the Patriots will fire Belichick soon and the Buccaneers will fire Bowles quickly remains to be seen. Current Buccaneers ownership doesn’t have a history of firing head coaches midseason as Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds noted.
With that said, Kaufman described Bowles as “shell-shocked” over his team’s performance against the Houston Texans, especially the defense. Kaufman added that “something has to change” if the Buccaneers lose a fifth-straight game in Week 10 against the Tennessee Titans.
If the Patriots part ways with Belichick after Germany, the team could turn to Jerod Mayo to serve as the interim head coach, Volin reported. The Patriots insider emphasized that “I don’t think it’s 100% that Belichick finishes out this season” and that “there’s a chance the Krafts could make the move” during the bye week.
Buccaneers Could Draw New Head Coach With Star Wide Receivers and New Quarterback
Licht’s indication of planning to keep star wide receiver Mike Evans in 2024, according to podcast co-host Lee Diekemper, along with fellow wideout Chris Godwin gives a prospective coach “a couple of carrots” to work with. The hosts also speculated that the Buccaneers could pursue a new quarterback in the draft instead of keeping Baker Mayfield next season, another incentive for a prospective coach.
Tampa Bay currently sits at the No. 8 pick if the season ends today, which could garner a quality quarterback. Michigan’s J.J.McCarthy or Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. could easily call that far.
As for the defense, the Buccaneers had a quality unit in the past three seasons, and this year’s defense started strong before the recent slide. A new head coach could build on that.