NFL Rumors: Potential replacements for Bill Belichick

All good things eventually come to an end, and the New England Patriots found out that the hard way when Tom Brady left. They’ve been a borderline or bottom-feeding team ever since, regardless of Bill Belichick’s coaching.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft said before the start of the season that he was going to make changes if things didn’t improve this year. Fast forward to today, and with the Pats sitting on a 3-10 record, it goes without saying that things didn’t improve at all.

Now, a report by Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston reveals that Kraft has already decided to cut ties with Belichick, and it doesn’t seem like there’s anything he can do to change his mind at this point.

“When they came out of [the 10-6 loss to the Colts on Nov. 12 in] Germany, conversations I had that week made it very clear that a decision was made,” said Curran. “They were going to play out the string, and at the end of the year, there would be a parting of the ways for a variety of reasons.”

Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots, during the 2023 NFL season

Potential Replacements For Belichick

With that in mind, and judging by the current status of the team, we’ll take a look at the only three candidates who could realistically bite the bullet and look to take this team back to its glory days.

3. Jim Harbaugh

This one could be a bit of a long shot, as Jim Harbaugh will draw interest from several teams, and most franchises will be in a much better position to compete than the Patriots, at least with this roster.

Harbaugh has flirted with going back to the NFL for quite a while now but to no avail. Now, following several scandals at Ann Arbor, it seems like the table is set for that to happen. Again, it might not be the best position, but it’ll sure help him reaffirm his status and make a statement as a winning coach.

2. Jerod Mayo

On the second spot, we find former LB Jerod Mayo. Mayo has been labeled as Belichick’s heir-apparent for quite a while now, and he even turned down several interviews for head coaching jobs last season.

Jerod Mayo with the New England Patriots.

He recently affirmed his desire to become a Head Coach and his love for the Patriots organization, and he would be a bit of a natural transition after serving as Belichick’s assistant coach for years. Then again, why would Kraft want anything to do with this current regime?

1. Josh McDaniels

Josh McDaniels’ tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders was a blatant failure. He tried to replicate Belichick’s tough-love approach, but the players didn’t seem to respect him enough for that to work. He hadn’t earned those stripes.

But McDaniels is a bit of a legend in Foxboro. The players know him, love him, and respect him, and the same goes for everybody else in the organization. Also, if Robert Kraft still believes in Mac Jones, he could reunite him with the only guy who made him look like an NFL-caliber quarterback.