Patriots Insider Floats (Non-Coaching) Path Bill Belichick Could Take

Bill Belichick’s tenure with the New England Patriots might soon end, leading to speculation about what’s next for the legendary head coach.

Those conversations tend to focus on potential landing spots, with the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders having head-coaching vacancies as of Monday afternoon. But what if Belichick opts for something different — like, say, TV?

“At FOX, you have the opportunity to work with Tom Brady or Rob Gronkowski. At NBC, you have the opportunity to work with Devin McCourty or Rodney Harrison. At CBS, they’re perhaps going to wipe out all of their older folks who’ve been there for a long time because they have expiring contracts — (Bill) Cowher, Phil Simms, James Brown,” Patriots insider Tom E. Curran said Sunday on NBC Sports Boston after New England’s season-ending loss to the New York Jets. ” … You get there, you catch your breath, you bounce your grandchildren on your knees for a while, you show what a great communicator you are, you show how sharp you still are, which he unbelievably is, and then you don’t have to rush into to go coach the Panthers or the Bears or the Chargers. You don’t have to squish this staff together in three weeks and be ready to go someplace else. You don’t have to get into a pissing contest with the Krafts. To me, television for one year — 72 (years old) ain’t what 72 used to be, either.”

Of course, it’s unclear whether Belichick will leave the Patriots this offseason. While several signs point toward his departure, Belichick on Monday expressed a willingness to relinquish general manager duties if he stayed in New England. So, perhaps there’s a scenario where he sticks around.

Nevertheless, Belichick’s future is a fascinating storyline hovering over the NFL. He’d almost certainly draw coaching interest elsewhere, given his impressive track record and football acumen, but there are other paths Belichick could take, as well, that don’t involve being on the sidelines.