Do Patriots fans have to worry about Bill Belichick bolting for TV job?

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick always used to promise that he would never be stalking the sidelines in his 70s like Bills legend Marv Levy. All well and good, but Belichick is now 69 years old, and seems to be planning to take more of the reins this season, declining to name an official defensive coordinator or offensive coordinator thus far.

Belichick’s overload seems worrisome enough, but could getting stuck in the early stages of Mac Jones’ development, still years away from potential contention, lead to an entirely different reason for Pats Nation to keep their guard up?

As high-profile rumors swirl about upper-echelon broadcast teams across the country switching sides, is it possible Belichick will choose to channel his passion for the game into an entirely different and fairly unfamiliar outlet: the broadcast booth?

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick headed for Amazon job?

And no, not in the warehouse.

Outside of the NFL 100 show, where his chemistry with Tom Brady popped on camera during a period of extreme turmoil between the two, Belichick hasn’t waded into those waters yet — and, perhaps, this is an issue for five years down the road.

But, realistically, how much more does Belichick have to achieve? He has set his successor — once thought to be Josh McDaniels — up for success with the foundational arrival of Jones. Like Tom Brady, he has closed all arguments regarding who the “greatest” at his position is, and all that’s left is to rub it in further. Isn’t it difficult to remain motivated when the entire world knows you’re the best?

WEEI’s argument for Belichick leaving for an Amazon paycheck centers mostly around the allure of a cushy post-retirement gig, and name drops Tony Romo, Troy Aikman, and even Sean Payton, rumored to be FOX’s Aikman successor.

"Still, on the surface it sounds crazy. Why would Belichick want to do TV?For the same reason all his former players who avoided and at times tried to bully the media during their playing days – guys like Tedy Bruschi, Willie McGinest and others – turn to TV jobs when their playing days are over. It’s a great retirement career."

This is all, of course, leaving out one thing.

OK, two things: Belichick is also at the center of one of the most expensive lawsuits in NFL history. The league might want to keep him out of their television deals for a bit.

Additionally, Belichick’s mastery of the game is unquestioned, but his charisma is understated. He might be phenomenally informative on a studio show or another outlet that allows him to dictate the rules.

But the weekly grind of providing color commentary for a sub-.500 Steelers-Browns game in mid-November? Are we sure that’s his ideal future — and ours?

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