Ex-Patriot says a lot of teams "don't want" Bill Belichick as next head coach

When looking at the resumes of head coaching candidates, there are none more accomplished than Bill Belichick. From being an 8-time Super Bowl Champion, six of which were won as the Patriots head coach, a 3-time Coach of the Year winner, named to two All-Decade NFL teams, the best defensive mind in all of football and more, there's not much else you could ask for when evaluating candidates.

All he has accomplished makes him the likely most sought-after head coach this offseason if he leaves the Patriots. But apparently, not all fanbases and teams needing a head coach feel that way about Belichick, at least according to one former Patriot turned radio host.

During an appearance on MassLive's "Eye On Foxborough" podcast this week, Ross Tucker shared what he's been hearing from teams around that league regarding their possible interest in hiring Belichick.

Because he works for stations across the U.S., two of which are in areas that will need new coaches, Tucker says they've made it very clear they don't want Belichick anywhere near their team.

"I go on different radio stations all over the country including Charlotte where the Carolina Panthers are, and D.C. where the Commanders are. The thing I think is fascinating, and maybe it’s a short attention span that people have these days, but a lot of people don’t want him.

I thought Belichick would be a great hire for the Carolina Panthers or the Commanders, both of whom need credibility at this point, and for their new owners, ‘cuz it’s been bad, and yet, that’s not really what the fans appear to want, which is really interesting."

Outside of Charlotte and D.C., it seems that sentiment is being felt by other fans of teams with head coach vacancies, like the Los Angeles Chargers. Countless fans on social media have already expressed their distaste for Belichick and feel the team isn't the right fit, mainly to Tucker's point due to his recent history with the Patriots.

It's certainly a fair stance since the teams after Tom Brady's departure have been far from impressive. But that could also explain why the teams haven't been that great. Not only did Brady leave, but several other pillars of the Patriots dynasty have retired over the last three years as well, including Patrick Chung, Julian Edelman, Rob Gronkowski, Dont'a Hightower, and Devin McCourty.

Any team that had just lost their quarterback of 20 years, plus several leaders and incredible performers, would fall flat on their face and need time to get back on their feet.

However, this is now the fourth season in a row that has been a disappointment. It's what has brought Belichick to the possibility of being fired or traded, as he made questionable personnel and roster decisions that have proven costly.

Tucker believes that's the case with those not interested in bringing Belichick to their team, but also said this year, in particular, seems to have made their minds up for them.

"If you asked Commanders fans or Panthers fans before the season, ‘Hey, you want Belichick after this year?’ and it would be ‘Heck, yeah. That would be amazing.’ But just because of how bad this year has been, there’s not like a groundswell among the fans that are itching to bring him in."

In professional sports, especially in the NFL, everything is on a short-term memory basis when most live by the mantra "What have you done for me lately?" Because fans want their teams to be good and be good now, they don't want to wait for eventual success and definitely don't want to see the team hire someone they don't like.

That seems to be the case with the Commanders and Panthers, as the fans have clearly forgotten all Belichick has accomplished in his nearly 50-year career. To an extent, it's understandable to be hesitant, given how poorly the last few seasons have gone with the development of Mac Jones and Belichick's evident flubs of putting together a competitive roster.

But should recency bias eliminate him from possibly being hired altogether?

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