After being dismissed by the New England Patriots, future Hall of Fame coach Bill Belichick entered the NFL coaching carousel with seven other head-coaching jobs available. As the carousel nears its conclusion, the three-time NFL Coach of the Year and eight-time Super Bowl champion is now without work.

Belichick, who turns 72 in April, wanted to keep coaching in 2024. However, despite seven NFL teams outside of Foxborough having openings, the Atlanta Falcons were the only team to interview Belichick. Once Atlanta hired Raheem Morris, the market for Belichick vanished.

With no signs of serious interest from the Washington Commanders nor the Seattle Seahawks, Belichick is poised to be out of the NFL in 2024. Assuming he doesn’t join a team as a consultant or defensive coordinator, the Wesleyan alum will not be working in an NFL season for the first time since 1974.

Why NFL teams aren’t hiring Bill Belichick

NFL teams have been extremely hesitant to hire Belichick. The end of his Patriots’ tenure was a disaster, with his track record of misses in the NFL Draft and free agency playing a significant role in New England’s downfall. However, any hopes of him changing his ways after being fired were quickly dashed.

Belichick reportedly wanted to retain full control over the 53-man roster with any team that hired him and he wanted Matt Patricia, Joe Judge and Josh McDaniels on his coaching staff. He was poised to repeat the same process that led to failure once Tom Brady left the Patriots, making him an unappealing candidate to teams.

• Bill Belichick coaching record: 302-165 (.647) overall, 266-121 (.687) with the New England Patriots

Now poised to sit out the 2024 NFL season, Belichick will be a year older in 2025 and a year removed from the game. While that would seemingly hurt his chances of becoming a head coach, it appears he isn’t ready to walk away from football.

According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, a return in 2025 for Belichick remains possible because the most accomplished coach in NFL history wants to remain on the sidelines.

With an NFL return out of the cards for now, Belichick’s options next season are television or a retreat out of the spotlight. While it would be the first time in decades that Belichick wouldn’t be actively working, the time away from football might be just what he needs.

As for his chances in 2025, it will come down to his demands. Reports that he wanted to avoid the media spotlight would seemingly rule out the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys. Meanwhile, his reported assistance in having control within the organization would rule out the Philadelphia Eagles.