It has been a little more than two weeks since the New England Patriots and coach Bill Belichick parted ways, and from even before the time he took his leave from the team, rumors about where he would coach in 2024 were abundant.

For a while, the Commanders were the popular fit. Or, better yet, the Chargers. There was talk about him taking over the Cowboys after their disastrous postseason, and talk about him taking over the Eagles—then a report saying Belichick had no interest in either job because of the media attention.

In the end, it appeared to be Falcons-or-bust for Belichick, as he met several times with owner Arthur Blank and other members of the Atlanta organization. Given their desperation for a get-over-the-hump coach, Belichick was a good bet to be in black with the Falcons. But then he wasn’t.

The Falcons hired Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris on Thursday, January 25, apparently unwilling to fork over total control of the franchise as Belichick wanted.

So, what now? CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones reported on Saturday, January 27 that sources around the NFL told him to expect Belichick back after next season.

“Crazy as it sounds, Bill Belichick is unlikely to coach in the NFL in the 2024 season. It will be the first time since the 1974 season that Belichick has not been with an NFL team,” Jones wrote. “But sources tell CBS Sports not to count the GOAT out for 2025. There remains a desire for Belichick to return to the sidelines … he just has to do it on his terms.”

Bill Belichick Rumors Link to Chiefs Job

Jones’ report comes amid Belichick rumors suggesting he could be eyeing Andy Reid’s seat in Kansas City, should the Chiefs coach decide to retire after the present K.C. playoff run. Those rumors are not, by any measure, built on known facts. It’s all been speculation. But it has been out there pretty consistently.

“I think there is reason to believe the Chiefs have the possibility (of retirement) on their radar screen. We will find out when the season ends,” Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio wrote. “A lot of times, a guy keeps his mouth shut until it is all said and done—he doesn’t want to be the story, he doesn’t want to be the focal point, he doesn’t want it to be the issue.”

From there, it is not hard to connect the dots back to Belichick, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter said this week on “Get Up!”

“If he did walk, at that point in time, if you’re the Kansas City Chiefs, and Bill Belichick were still sitting out there, would that not be an interesting possibility if Andy Reid decides to do, to go take a run at arguably the greatest coach of all time and to replace one legend with another?” Schefter said.

Schefter was clear that he was being speculative and, “having fun,” and there’s no evidence that the rumor is more fire than smoke.

Maybe the Ex-Patriots Coach Is Not Worth It

It would, indeed be a longshot series of events that would see Reid lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl win, then decide to hang up his whistle from there, and to follow that up with the team hiring Belichick. That’s especially true considering that, as Jones wrote, Belichick wants complete control of whatever franchise he next joins. The Chiefs aren’t about to cede that to him.

Indeed, no one is falling over themselves to let Belichick pick his own players, decide the direction of the organization, and serve as coach, too. The Patriots only let Belichick do that because he brought the team five Super Bowl trophies.

But the Patriots’ struggles in the years since the team lost quarterback Tom Brady have laid bare the fact that it was Brady’s brilliance that covered up Belichick’s many roster-building mistakes, and that as good a coach as Belichick is, he should be kept far away from the personnel levers.