Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is viewed as a long shot to fill the coaching vacancies for the Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks, league sources said, opening up the possibility of the second-winningest coach in NFL history being without a team in 2024.
The chances of that increased on Thursday when the Atlanta Falcons, the only team to interview Belichick this season, moved to hire Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
It will take a change in direction for something to happen with the Commanders or the Seahawks, according to league sources. The other six head coaching vacancies have been filled this season.
Entering the 2023 season, it was fairly plausible that Belichick would remain with the Patriots for as long as it took him to replace the late Don Shula as the winningest coach in NFL history. But Belichick and New England parted ways after going 4-13. Belichick interviewed with the Falcons twice last week.
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Counting the regular season and playoffs, Belichick has 333 coaching victories. That leaves him with 15 head coaching victories behind Shula, who won 347 games as coach of the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins.
Time is Belichick's enemy as he pursues the record. He will turn 72 on April 16.
If Belichick does not coach in any capacity in 2024, it would end a streak of 49 consecutive seasons on an NFL coaching staff. He began his career as a “special assistant” with the Baltimore Colts in 1975 under coach Ted Marchibroda.
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