FOXBOROUGH – For those wondering where Bill Belichick is going to land, you might have better luck picking the location out of a hat.
NFL Insiders have been all over the map.
On Sunday, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported the “Commanders and Raiders” were hoping to get a chance to meet with Belichick, should the Patriots move on from their six-time Super Bowl winning head coach.
Meanwhile, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported the Commanders “are not likely to pursue Belichick.” And the “Chargers and Raiders” are less likely options.
BET ANYTHINGGET $250 BONUSESPN BET
21+ and present in MA, NJ, PA, VA, MD, WV, TN, LA, KS, KY, CO, AZ, IL, IA, IN, OH, MI. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
Try and make heads or tails of that. Are the Commanders, who are expected to fire Ron Rivera, in it, or not? Or did they change their mind after the first report came out?
Because NBC Sports’ Mike Florio of “Pro Football Talk” fame also reported Commanders owner Josh Allen was “enamored” with Belichick.
How about the Raiders? In or out?
Word of advice: Take everything with a grain of salt this time of year.
That’s not to say reporters don’t have good sources. But when it comes to a high profile situation like Belichick possibly being let go by the Patriots, all kinds of information gets floated.
At this stage, nobody really knows for certain where he might land, or which teams are truly interested. Belichick could still wind up in New England, although it sure seems like that ship has sailed after losing to the Jets Sunday, 17-3, and finishing the year with a 4-13 record.
Teams with vacancies might feign interest in Belichick to try and keep the price tag down on someone else. It can also work the other way to boost Belichick.
Rapoport also reported that Atlanta may or may not be in the mix for Belichick depending what they decide on their head coach. Well, the Falcons canned Arthur Smith late Sunday night. And watch out for the Carolina Panthers.
That jives with CBS sports insider Josina Anderson reporting every NFC South team (Falcons, Saints, Bucs, Panthers) would have interest in Belichick.
Wrote Rapoport: “(The Panthers) had some interest (in Belichick) during their head-coaching search when they eventually hired Frank Reich … and they might inquire again.”
Or, with David Tepper at the helm, they might not. It’s also possible because of Tepper, coaches might want to steer clear of Carolina. The variables are endless.
It was also pointed out that down the road, other teams with a head-coaching position not open at the moment might have interest in Belichick. So that spices it up with more possibilities. Depending what happens with the Cowboys, Dallas might eventually be in the mix given Jerry Jones’ fondness for Belichick.
But then again, there are some analysts out there who don’t think Belichick will generate any interest at all.
Former New York Jet Kerry Rhodes said on Fox Sports Radio Sunday night that Belichick wasn’t hirable. Rhodes contended no one wants a coach who’s outdated, especially with a young team.
We’ll see soon enough if that proves to be the case. Following the loss to the Jets, Belichick confirmed he would be meeting with team owner Robert Kraft. After that, it’s hard to know how soon the Patriots will announce a resolution.
Belichick, to no surprise, didn’t provide much in the way of details.
“As far as the future goes, I’ll sit down with Robert as I do every year at some point at the end of the season and we’ll talk about things as we always do,” Belichick said. “I’m sure that will happen. But that’s really about all I have to say about that right now because there isn’t anything else to talk about.”
Actually, there’s plenty.
NFL fans can wager online on Massachusetts sports betting with enticing promo codes from top online sportsbooks. Use the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo code for massive new user bonuses.
