When the New England Patriots and legendary head coach Bill Belichick parted ways after the 2023 NFL season, it seemed likely that Belichick would end up with one of the open head coaching jobs during the offseason.
The hiring cycle came and went, and Belichick was left on the outside looking in.
Whether this means his coaching career is over or if he’s just taking a year off, many were surprised that none of the teams hired Belichick, who interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons at least once.
Belichick’s former quarterback with the Patriots, Tom Brady, was among those surprised.
“I don’t know the criteria for hiring coaches. I’ve never been a part of it, I mean, I’m surprised that the greatest coach ever doesn’t have a job, absolutely. But I’m surprised [by] a lot of things in the NFL,” Brady said this week on his podcast.
Brady also sympathized with Belichick’s plight, discussing his brief time on the free agent market before signing with the Tampa Bay Buccanneers in 2021. “When I was a free agent, there [were] a lot of teams that didn’t want me,” he said.
Brady was the quarterback for all six of Belichick’s Super Bowl victories in New England and the duo combined to win 219 games in Brady’s 20 seasons in New England.
[ESPN]
