Bill Belichick's Role with Jaguars Could Go Beyond Coaching

The Jacksonville Jaguars and former Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick have been tied together in the head coaching carousel. The eight-time Super Bowl champion could transcend coaching duties in Duval.

Bill Belichick, left, talks with Peyton Manning, right, at the 2024 Manning Passing Academy. / Mikey DiLullo / USA TODAY NETWORK

At 2-9, the Jacksonville Jaguars' season is over. And so cements the complete and under failure of head coach Doug Pederson's tenure. This was supposed to be the best team in franchise history -- owner Shad Khan said that winning now was the expectation.

Now, the Jaguars are in the lead to secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With a talented roster and a $250 million franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. Not good. As Adam Schefter told Pat McAfee on Monday, change could happen at any moment.

"I think that there's a feeling in the building right now where everybody is anxious, uncertain, nervous, about what's going to happen," he said. "Would you be surprised if something happened today? No. Would you be surprised if something happened tomorrow? No. Something's coming. That was a horrendous performance, the worst loss in franchise history. It was an organizational failure. When you're looking at those types of issues, you know that there are going to be decisions that have to be made and changes that take place."

As Sports Illustrated has consistently reported, a lead candidate could be former head coach (and eight-time Super Bowl winner as a coach and coordinator) Bill Belichick, one of the sharpest minds in the history of the NFL.

For one, Belichick would get an owner that he has a solid pre-existing relationship with, to go with Khan's philosophy of hands-off, free-spending ownership. Belichick would get a franchise quarterback in Lawrence, who makes the job a lot more tantalizing for any coaching candidate.

The roster is still young and is a few pieces away from true contention. A world-class drafter like Belichick could have much to work with. Here's the thing: Belichick could do more than just coach the Jaguars.

The former coach has more than enough football savvy to act as general manager, too, if he doesn't want to establish one himself. He could build a framework that could breed football excellence in Duval long after his reign.

Belichick is just 27 wins away from the NFL record for a head coach, held by Don Shula's 328. If he gets the record and feels he has done everything he can do as a coach, he can fall back in to a general manager role. That one could carry a longer timeline for the coach, who is currently 72 years old.

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