Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots parted ways after 24 seasons on Thursday, ending weeks of speculation about the future of the legendary coach and the team he led to six Super Bowl titles.
Now comes what has the potential to be the most unprecedented job search in the history of the league. Never has a coach with such a track record been available on the open market. Belichick, still revered throughout the league, is widely believed to be motivated not only to prove he can win somewhere other than New England, but also to break Don Shula's NFL record of 347 career wins (Belichick currently sits at 333).
But Belichick's style is not for everyone, and any NFL team that considers hiring him will have to first address a range of questions. Is he content to simply be the head coach, or would Belichick want a high degree of personnel control? (On that topic, Belichick suggested at a Monday video conference he was open to shared responsibilities around personnel.)
Would hiring Belichick be a short-term fix? Belichick will turn 72 before the 2024 season starts, which would make him the oldest NFL head coach hired to a new job and the fifth-oldest in league history. How long does he want to keep going?
Resolve those questions and suitors will face others that cannot be answered as easily. How much meaning do you assign to the 12-22 record of the past two seasons or a 29-38 record without a playoff win in the post-Tom Brady era in New England? Can Belichick win another Super Bowl or two given the right situation or are there underlying issues that would make winning at a high level a challenge?
ESPN discussed those topics with coaches and executives around the league and sized up the fit for Belichick with each of the current NFL vacancies: