Bill Belichick is still under contract to be the Patriots’ coach, reportedly through next season. Yet there is a considerable amount of rumor and speculation regarding the eight-time Super Bowl winner moving on to a new challenge with another NFL team.
An unexpected team could be among those suitors, according to a reporter who has covered the Patriots for the past 10 seasons. The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin writes that the Panthers should be viewed as a serious contender for Belichick’s services. According to Volin, that assertion isn’t an opinion but is based on talking to NFL sources familiar with Belichick and the league’s coaching market.
Belichick has been connected to the Commanders and Chargers in recent rumors, and Volin mentions the Falcons as another team that could pursue the coach. However, Carolina could be a desirable fit because of Charlotte’s smaller, less demanding media market. Belichick also wouldn’t face the same pressure to make the playoffs that he might in Washington, D.C., or Los Angeles.
Perhaps most importantly, Panthers owner David Tepper would likely pay Belichick an extremely lucrative salary. His seven-year, $60 million contract for Matt Rhule reset the NFL coaching market with Tepper surely hoping that he had found a new version of Belichick for his franchise.
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Belichick, who turns 72 next year, surely won’t want a seven-year contract. His age might be one factor that dissuades Tepper, who said he would like to hire a coach who holds the job for “20, 30 years.” But that’s highly unrealistic in today’s NFL, even if Belichick has been with the Patriots for 24 years.
Yet Belichick does want to continue coaching, according to Volin. He’s within reach of a record that would cement his legacy beyond his multiple Super Bowl championships. Belichick is just 28 wins away from tying Don Shula’s record for regular-season wins. And including his postseason victories, the coach is 16 victories away from the all-time record of 347 total victories.
Belichick and the Panthers don’t appear to be an ideal fit. However, Volin is a trusted, established NFL reporter whose sources tell him not to dismiss the possibility. At 2–9, the Patriots’ 2023 season is lost and the team will likely pursue a new quarterback. But the offseason involving Belichick looks to be extremely compelling.
