The Window for a Potential Bill Belichick Return to the NFL Just Closed a Little Bit Further

Jim Rogash. Getty Images.

When this news broke:

… it was far from the most earth-shattering development. It wasn't enough to knock being on the verge of WWIII off the home page of all the news outlets. 

After all, Todd Bowles has done a pretty good job, all things considered. I'll go to my grave believing he got the Bucs head coaching job just because Tom Brady was calling all the shots. Bruce Arians had become an annoyance to him. So he told Tampa ownership to move Arians out and promote a defensive coach who won't interfere with him running the Brady offense the Brady way.  And even with Brady gone for two years, he's succeeded. The Bucs' record has improved each of his three seasons. Last year he led them to double digit wins and the playoffs for his third straight time. 

So good on him. It's rare that any coach gets a third lease on life after being interim in Miami and then presiding over the Jets for four (24-40, .375) seasons. Any time someone survives that and gets a new lease on life, all of humanity can rejoice. But there are bigger ramifications to this, as PFT has pointed out:

Source -  Last December, Bill Belichick consigliere Mike Lombardi was spreading the phony rumor that Bowles could be calling it a career. Some viewed that as an effort to speak a desirable vacancy for Belichick into existence.

Even without Bowles retiring, the Bucs were a team to watch [but this] means that the Bucs won’t be a path back to pro football for Belichick in 2026. Or maybe ever.

There aren’t many other viable spots. Miami could be interesting, if owner Stephen Ross is willing to rankle the fan base by hiring Don Shula’s nemesis as Belichick chases Shula’s all-time wins record. 

           

For now, it feels as if the Bowles extension delays (and potentially destroys) the most viable (or the least non-viable) option Belichick had at the next level.

About 18 months ago, the idea of Belichick being out of work was unthinkable. Laughable. But with each passing day and each passing potential vacancy being filled, it gets more unthinkable and less ironically funny. This move by Tampa just made it not only less likely he'll be back on an NFL sideline, it's likely made it improbable he'll ever work in the league again. 

It's surreal. He's 14 wins shy of Shula. You never say "never," but what seemed like an inevitability even after Brady left and the 12 win seasons stopped, is looking very much like it won't happen. Because Brady went to Tampa to win without him. And and there would've been a tremendous opportunity for him to land in the same market and redeem himself in the same way. But because the NFL seems reluctant to give the keys to the kingdom to a man who spent 20-plus years harvesting their souls. Not at the age of 73, anyway. It's a situation I never could possibly have conceived of. 

Bill Belichick is out of the NFL. Banished. Possibly for good. Life makes no sense whatsoever.