Bill Belichick threw salt on the wound Tuesday, one day after the New England Patriots defeated the New York Jets 30-27 on a last-second field goal by Nick Folk.
Belichick, who famously resigned during a press conference to introduce him as New York’s head coach in January 2000, said on WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni and Fauria” that spurning the Jets and landing with the Patriots was “one of the greatest moments” of his NFL career.
Ouch.
Obviously, this could be interpreted as a direct shot at the Jets organization. But former NFL linebacker Bart Scott, who spent four seasons with New York (2009-12), believes Belichick’s comment might signify something even bigger is in the works.
Like, say, an exit from the Patriots?
“To me, it sounds like a swan song. Now, when you start reflecting on some of the greatest decisions that you’ve ever made, that’s when I think you’re getting ready to leave,” Scott said Wednesday on ESPN Radio’s “Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin.” “And you think about (Patriots offensive coordinator) Josh McDaniels, a couple of years ago he had an opportunity to go to Indianapolis and to be the head coach. All of a sudden, he reversed field, came back to the Patriots and all of a sudden Bill Belichick says, ‘I’m gonna give you my world.’ First of all, of course I would ask if I was Josh McDaniels, ‘What the hell have you been giving me since I’ve been here all this time if you ain’t giving me your world? Now you want to give it to me?’
“I think he’s going to give Josh McDaniels his world pretty soon. I just think the world is gonna be on fire without a franchise quarterback, because this is the perfect time for Bill Belichick to ride off into the sunset.”
Fair enough. Belichick retiring after this season, while perhaps unlikely, isn’t the craziest idea in the world. After all, he’s 68 years old. He’s been around football for a very, very long time.
But that’s not exactly what Scott’s thinking. Instead, Scott suggested that Belichick might leave the Patriots for a new role with a new team.
“He’s always, always loved the Giants. He’s got a soft spot for the Giants,” Scott said. “I could see Bill Belichick coming and pulling a Phil Jackson and being the general manager for the New York Football Giants, replacing (Dave) Gettleman and working with (head coach) Joe Judge, his young protégé.”
Belichick spent a decent chunk of time on the Giants’ coaching staff early in his career, winning two Super Bowl titles as the team’s defensive coordinator.
A lot — including six Super Bowl titles as New England’s head coach — has happened since those days, but Belichick always has held the Giants franchise in high regard. (Much higher than the Jets, at least.)
“They’re in a rebuilding phase,” Scott said of the Patriots, whose Week 9 win over the Jets improved New England’s record to 3-5. “Bill is in his late 60s. You think he wants to stay around for a rebuild, so Tom Brady can be down there in Tampa and saying, ‘Hey, it was all me, it was all me.’ He doesn’t have the weapons or the ammunition he needs to be successful. This is a rebuild.
” … I think that Bill Belichick may be really kinda laying the platform for him to say, ‘You know what? Josh McDaniels, here you go. It’s been real. I’ll holler.’ “
Belichick joining the Giants’ front office would be a tough pill for the Patriots to swallow, especially given New England’s crushing losses to New York in Super Bowl XLII and Super Bowl XLVI.
