During the tenure of Kyle Shanahan, the San Francisco 49ers expressed interest in Tom Brady on a few occasions. One instance involved John Lynch inquiring about the then-Patriots quarterback, only to be swiftly dismissed by Bill Belichick. Now that Brady has retired, the 49ers shifted their focus to his longtime head coach.
Belichick, who only went 1-for-8 in head coach interviews this offseason, has opted to sit out the year. Despite securing TV gigs with the Manningcast and Inside the NFL, he remains open to returning to the NFL in 2025. This marks Belichick’s first season out of the NFL since 1974, and Shanahan attempted to lure him back.
The 49ers offered Belichick a role on their coaching staff, allowing the 24-year Patriots head coach to choose his position. Although it is unclear if this offer was made before Nick Sorensen was selected as their defensive coordinator, Belichick could have played a significant role in San Francisco’s defense if he had accepted.
Shanahan revealed, “I threw it all out to him, like whatever he’d want to do. I was like, would you be interested? He was very nice and appreciative, but he politely turned me down. He loves football so much that you never know what he would want.”
Belichick famously traded Jimmy Garoppolo to the 49ers in 2017, despite initially intending to keep Brady’s backup. The 49ers accepted the trade, sending a second-round pick to the Patriots for Garoppolo, who became their starting quarterback until 2022. This mutual respect may lead to the two coaches facing off again, although not in 2024.
Belichick was only interviewed by the Falcons for their head coach position, while the Commanders and 49ers considered him for coaching roles. The Chiefs swiftly extended Steve Spagnuolo, who was on the 49ers’ radar for the defensive coordinator position. Belichick, 72, has not held a non-head coach or coordinator role in the NFL since 1996.
The NFC East remains a topic of interest, with speculation that Belichick may be eyeing the Eagles’ head coach job. Both the Eagles and Cowboys looked into hiring Belichick this offseason, but opted to retain their current coaches. Philly’s Nick Sirianni and Dallas’ Mike McCarthy face uncertain futures in their roles.
Belichick is reportedly a fan of Howie Roseman and was prepared to relinquish some personnel control had he joined the Falcons. A potential partnership with the Eagles or Cowboys would not grant Belichick the same level of control he held in New England.
Given that no NFL head coach has been hired past the age of 66, Belichick may have one more offseason as a viable candidate. His connections to NFC East teams set the stage for a memorable coaching cycle in 2025.