With Ron Rivera expected to be fired as Washington Commanders head coach following a dismal season, new owner Josh Harris could look to Bill Belichick as a potential replacement, according to Pro Football Talk.
Belichick, whose future with the New England Patriots will likely be discussed with team owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft on Monday, would certainly have options if the Patriots opt to move on.
And Harris, according to the Pro Football Talk, “is enamored with the idea of Belichick coaching the Commanders,” despite the Patriots head coach about to finish a second straight sub.-500 season.
One potential issue with Harris being able to get Belichick to Washington is control of the roster.
Belichick has famously run the entire show in New England, where he became the head coach in 2000 after ditching the Jets, and it’s unclear if he’d be granted the same power with the Commanders — especially given the questionable roster construction the Patriots have had since Tom Brady’s departure.
In order for Belichick to get to Washington — or anywhere else, for that matter — a trade would need to be worked out with New England.
And there remains a chance Belichick stays with the Patriots, possibly with someone else brought in to make roster decisions.
Another possibility is a more appealing job opens up, since the Commanders have reached the postseason just once in the last eight years and traded away a pair of defensive stalwarts in Chase Young and Montez Sweat, so they may not be ready to win even next year, and Belichick will turn 72 in April.
The pursuit of a new head coach will be the first significant move for Harris, whose purchase of the Commanders became official in July.
He’s hired big names as owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, such as GM Daryl Morey and head coach Nick Nurse.
The possibility of Harris’ interest in Belichick first surfaced in October, but Harris will no doubt have other options, especially if any teams decide to move on from their head coach following a playoff defeat.