At one point before the Super Bowl the ink had not yet been put to paper, but New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had reached an agreement with the Indianapolis Colts to be their next head coach. Before the confetti had dropped on the Patriots’ 41-33 defeat at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles, that deal was on the way to the shredder. McDaniels would stay in New England and the Colts would be back in the market for a head coach.
But McDaniels didn’t just back out. He reneged on his agreement thanks to one simple turn of events, a meeting with Patriots owner Bob Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick. After that meeting, McDaniels informed Indianapolis that he, in fact, would not be their next head coach. He was going to remain with the Patriots.
While no one has admitted, as of today, that McDaniels was assured he would be the next head coach of the Patriots once Belichick steps down (and it’s not in the contract to be sure), handshake deals were certainly made.
What the Patriots have admitted is that McDaniels will be included in roster construction and salary cap decisions this season and beyond. To me, there’s no question that Kraft panicked at the idea of defensive coordinator Matt Patricia and McDaniels both fleeing the Pats at the same time with Belichick in his twilight years. In fact, while they’ve not revealed it, there’s little doubt to me that McDaniels was assured he’d be the next head coach when Belichick left the team.
There’s been trouble in Beantown for some time and ESPN blew the lid off much of it last season, in spite of the team’s denials. While New England won’t release details on Belichick’s contract, the rumor is he makes $10 million-plus a season and, really, could probably ask for whatever number he picked out of thin air and get it.
📸 How much do you love Bill Belichick's new headshot for 2018? #Patriots #WBZ pic.twitter.com/xawKd40Q9P
— Joe Giza (@JoeGiza) July 5, 2018
The writing is on the wall for Belichick and with McDaniels hanging around, it’s happening sooner or later. So what will happen? The oddsmakers at BetDSI Sportsbook some ideas.
Who Will Bill Belichick Coach for in 2019?
New York Giants +120
New England Patriots +150
Dallas Cowboys +300
New York Jets +500
Green Bay Packers +1000
Indianapolis Colts +1500
San Francisco 49ers +2000
Chicago Bears +3000
Cleveland Browns +5000
Field +1000
Not NFL Head Coach +500
I’m shocked to see the Giants with odds that high. Sure, there’s probably some affection between Belichick and the G-Men, but they just hired Pat Shurmer this offseason and unless they pull an 0-16 Cleveland Browns, I don’t see them making a change. In fact, I like the Giants a lot better this season than most.
New England at +150 makes sense. While Belichick probably won’t be there in 2020, there’s a good chance he could hang around at least one more season. At least until Tom Brady retires.
Upon realizing he was coaching the Browns, Bill Belichick immediately called for a timeout to reevaluate his life. pic.twitter.com/ZSapsObZhi
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) June 25, 2018
The two most intriguing options to me are the Dallas Cowboys at +300 and the Green Bay Packers at +1000. Money is no object for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and he’s certainly pulled big name coaches out of retirement before. Plus, it’s the Cowboys. A crown NFL Jewel.
The Packers make a lot of sense because of Aaron Rodgers. The idea of teaming up with another future Hall of Fame quarterback could be too good to pass up for Belichick. And, just as an outside observer, the idea of getting Rodgers away from Mike McCarthy would be best for everybody.
If I was tossing my own money on the table, however, I’d look hard at “Not an NFL Coach.” Belichick would be the hottest TV prospect since Peyton Manning retired and would instantly be the highest paid TV analyst in the biz. It’s an easy job. A nice, cushy retirement and one that Belichick has earned.
