Giants Country

Would Giants Reunite with Bill Belichick if He Parts with Patriots?

That's the dream of some Giants fans, but reality is painting a much different picture.

Patricia Traina

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New York Giants fans tend to be sentimental regarding their own, especially when there is a chance of reuniting with their own who, in prior years, played a significant role in the franchise's success.

So it's perhaps no wonder that with rumors continuing to swirl that the New England Patriots and head coach Bill Belichick are set to divorce after this season, that has sparked the imagination of some Giants fans whose dreams of seeing New York close the gap against the Cowboys and Eagles were dashed and who view the 71-year-old future Hall of Fame head coach and one-time Giants defensive coordinator under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells, as the answer.

This dream probably doesn't have much hope of coming true. First, the Patriots and Belichick would need to separate, which may or may not happen. But even if it does, the odds of Belichick returning to the franchise where he first made a name for himself are slim to none if Belichick aspires to be both the head coach and de facto general manager of a team, as he has been with the Patriots.

ESPN's Dan Orlovsky, appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, said he's heard that if Belichick becomes a free agent, he won't be free for too long as he has his next location already picked out, a location where he could wear both the GM and head coach hats. 

Orlovsky didn't name names, but it's thought that the Chargers and Bucs might be among the teams that make the most sense as Belichick's next destination if he wishes to continue coaching.

The Giants? As sweet of a story this would make to see the Giants reunite with the architect of the team's brilliant defensive game plan in Super Bowl XXV, New York is unlikely to fire general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll after two seasons.

Both Daboll and Schoen have earned the benefit of the doubt thanks to their successful first season, and it's thought that perhaps a lot of the struggles of this year's team are a result of an ongoing problem with injuries hitting key starters hard.

Moreover, Mara told reporters shortly after Schoen was hired that he didn't want to have to keep turning over the team's top football leadership every two years and that he would be more patient with the former Buffalo Bills personnel to infuse some of what they learned during the Bills's successful seasons into the Giants' culture.

Then there is another angle to an argument against Belichick: Since quarterback Tom Brady and the Patriots parted ways after the 2019 season, Belichick's teams have arguably lost their bite.  

New England has had one winning season, that in 2021 when they finished 10-7, in the post-Brady era; otherwise, they are 27-33 in games played since Brady's departure, their only postseason appearance coming in 2021 when they lost the Wild Card round to the Buffalo Bills, 47-17.

Add to that the Patriots' struggles to develop quarterback Mac Jones, and there is enough reason to give the Giants, who are quickly falling into a position to draft a new franchise quarterback in the wake of incumbent Daniel Jones's having suffered two neck injuries in three years and a recent ACL injury, pause even if they were thinking about making a change. 

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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