Legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick has a desire to return to the sidelines in 2025, which should be music to the ears of the New York Jets franchise.
Belichick stepped away from his role as head coach and de facto general manager of the New England Patriots following the 2023 season after the team went 4-13 on the year. That marked his worst record as a head coach, as he had never gone worse than 5-11 in any previous campaign with New England or the Cleveland Browns before them.
Tom Brady’s departure from the franchise in 2019 created a fissure between the two, and the Patriots’ investments in quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Mac Jones did not go as planned, leading the team toward a downward spiral, including three losing seasons in the four hears following Brady’s departure, which precipitated a rebuild.
Bill Belichick could be a Jets head coaching candidate for the 2025 season
Now that Belichick is slated to step into a pronounced role in the media, including being a regular on “The Pat McAfee Show,” the three-time AP NFL Coach of the Year is already yearning to get back on the gridiron. However, there are conditions that potential suitors will have to meet to bring him into their fold.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported a full synopsis of where the Tennessee native’s head is at regarding an NFL comeback and what it will take to lure him away from the media and back into the play-caller position next year (h/t Peter Botte of the New York Post):
“Belichick ‘still would like to return to the right spot as a head coach in 2025, if the right opportunity presents itself,’ Schefter wrote, and his media obligations will enable him to “be able to keep a close eye on the league, track its players and be ready to coach again if the right call comes.”
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Belichick could join a Super Bowl-ready Jets team if he returns to the NFL
The Jets have everything that a team would need to attract Belichick to take their reigns. Primarily, New York boasts the best defense in football from a season ago, powered by their stout pass rush and stacked linebacker depth chart, as well as an unparalleled secondary headlined by top-shelf cornerback Sauce Gardner.
Offensively, the 72-year-old would have the luxury of coaching superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers and eliminate any doubt about having to nurture a developing QB. The pairing has fruitful written all over it as both share similar mindsets, attitudes, and winning acumen. The rest of the Jets’ offense also has ballers in its rotation.
Belichick loves to have a backfield that can set the tone on offense, and Breece Hall would be an ideal bell cow for the standout play-caller to help cross the 1,000-yard rushing milestone, having fallen just six yards short in 2023. They also have two proven 1,000-yard wide receivers in Garrett Wilson and Mike Williams and a talented offensive line for him to work with.
To top it all off, the Jets play in a large market in New York, which would be advantageous when moving pieces on the proverbial chessboard, as a role with oversight and roster decision-making would almost surely be required in whatever contract he was to sign.
It goes without saying what the Wesleyan product could do for New York. His Super Bowls, all-time great defenses, and sophisticated offensive schemes, coupled with the talent that the Jets have at their disposal, could take them from Super Bowl candidates as is, to favorites.
