How Patriots Could Face (Yes, Face) Bill Belichick In 2024 Season

As the Bill Belichick-Chargers rumors continue to swirl, keep your eyes on the Patriots' 2024 schedule.

At this point, it feels like a foregone conclusion that Belichick won't be New England's head coach next season. And if the six-time Super Bowl champion elects to continue his career elsewhere, many have pegged Los Angeles as a likely destination.

One NFL insider recently said the Chargers are the "favorites" to trade for Belichick in the offseason. ESPN's Sal Paolantonio floated a similar theory early this week. Stephen A. Smith loves the idea, for whatever that's worth. So, too, do a slew of former NFL players. Some betting sites even have the Chargers -- along with the Washington Commanders -- as one of the favorites to land Belichick.

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But even if Belichick bolts for Southern California, there's a non-zero chance he still would end up coaching at Gillette Stadium in 2024.

If the campaign ended Friday, the Chargers would visit the Patriots next season. New England is slated to host whichever AFC West team finishes in the same spot in those standings as the Patriots finish in the AFC East standings. And, right now, New England and Los Angeles both are in last place in their respective divisions.

Here's the Patriots' current list of opponents for the 2024 season:

HOME
Buffalo Bills
New York Jets
Miami Dolphins
Los Angeles Rams
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Seattle Seahawks
AFC West team to be determined (currently Chargers)

AWAY
Buffalo Bills
New York Jets
Miami Dolphins
Arizona Cardinals
Jacksonville Jaguars
San Francisco 49ers
Tennessee Titans
AFC North team to be determined (currently Cincinnati Bengals)
NFC North team to be determined (currently Chicago Bears)

A Belichick-Chargers union would make sense on multiple levels.

With a talented roster led by star quarterback Justin Herbert, Belichick probably would break Don Shula's all-time wins record sometime in 2025. He might even land that sans-Tom Brady Super Bowl he surely desires. And Los Angeles, a perpetually irrelevant franchise, would add one of the most relevant people in all of professional sports. The Chargers' notoriously frugal owner might be the biggest obstacle to overcome.

With all that said, it's still difficult to envision Belichick trading a ratty Patriots hoodie for some spiffy Chargers quarter-zip, or something. It just doesn't feel like the kind of franchise he'd want to run. A franchise rich in tradition, such as the Dallas Cowboys or Washington Commanders, feels more right.

Of course, it felt just as jarring to see Tom Brady in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform, and that weirdness eventually faded away.

Whether Belichick ultimately works for a different franchise next season remains to be seen. But if he does, don't be surprised to see him back at Gillette Stadium in 2024, only on the other sideline and in a different shade of blue.