The greatest NFL coach of all time does not ordinarily hit the open market.
Of course, former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick has done nothing ordinarily over the three-decade span of his head coaching career.
On the heels of 4-13 season—the worst of Belichick's storied Patriots tenure—New England bid adieu to the only coach many of the franchise's fans have ever known. Many believe that Belichick is headed elsewhere, but precisely where remains to be seen.
In fact, according to a Thursday report from ESPN's Adam Schefter, Belichick's market is by no means limited to the seven teams that currently have head coaching vacancies.
"Aside from the Patriots there are seven other teams right now with head coaching vacancies, but I think it’s a mistake to look at that list and to try to slot Belichick in. Maybe he fits in with one of those teams—I think that (the) Atlanta (Falcons) amongst others, might have some interest—but I think what you do is you look at the rest of the league. The teams not in the playoffs, and teams in the playoffs," Schefter said on SportsCenter Thursday.
Excluding the Patriots, teams with current coaching vacancies include the Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Washington Commanders.
The wild-card round of the playoffs is this coming weekend, with two games on Saturday, three on Sunday and one on Monday. As more teams are eliminated from the postseason, it’s possible they might suddenly find themselves as potential suitors for Belichick.
"You begin to wonder when owners wake up this morning and hear the news that Bill Belichick is out in New England, are they asking themselves, does Belichick represent an upgrade over the coach that currently is in charge of their respective franchise," Schefter said. "That is the question that I think every owner is asking themselves, just like when Tom Brady became a free agent, it was up to every franchise to ask themselves whether Tom Brady represented an upgrade over the quarterback they had."
