NFL insider floats ‘sneaky’ potential AFC destination for Bill Belichick

Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer said the Jaguars could be a sneaky contender to sign Bill Belichick.

Mac Jones went from the Patriots to the Jaguars. Could Bill Belichick follow in his footsteps?

Jacksonville is 0-3, and if things keep trending that way, the team could be in the market for a new head coach.

The Jaguars haven’t been mentioned much as a potential Belichick destination compared to rumors about the Cowboys and Eagles, but Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer said the Jacksonville could wind up in the mix.

“They’re just a sneaky one with Belichick for me,” Breer said during a recent episode of the Dan Patrick Show. “Tony Khan [son of Jaguars owner Shad Khan] has a real strong relationship with Belichick to the point where, when they hired Doug Marrone full time when they removed the interim tag in 2017, that was largely on the advice of Bill Belichick to do it.”

“So, Bill has had the ear of ownership in that place for a while now,” Breer added. “I just wonder if that’s not rattling around in the heads of ownership there now especially when you’re building a new stadium. Not a new stadium, but you’re renovating your stadium and now you’ve got sponsorships to sell, you’ve got suites to sell, all of that stuff.”

The Jaguars were fighting for a playoff spot until the final week of the regular-season last year. They won 8 of their first 11 games before falling off and finishing 9-8.

“The Jaguars to me, I don’t know, their core players are good — not great — and I think that’s sometimes in the NFL where you can get yourself in trouble,” Breer said. “The highest played players or the highest drafted players on your team are pretty good — not great. I’m talking about like Christian Kirk and Tyson Campbell and Cam Robinson. They’re good players, but are those the core pieces of a champion.”

“It just feels to me like a team that just doesn’t have a real strength to hang it’s hat on,” Breer added. “It needs Trevor Lawrence to be a superstar and he just isn’t one right now. So, it feels to me a little bit like a franchise that may be in for another reset.”

Breer mentioned Jacksonville’s Oct. 20 matchup with the Patriots in London as a key date for the Jaguars. If Jacksonville doesn’t stack a few wins by the time they head to London, there could be a lot on the line for the coaches, Breer said.

Meanwhile, the 72-year-old Belichick remains a coaching free agent as he builds his media career.

The Jaguars aren’t perfect, but they could be an interesting option for Belichick, Breer said.

“There are some things that line up there where I wouldn’t totally rule it our as a viable possibility for Belichick in 2025,” Breer said. “And he does have a place right down the street, right down I-95 in South Florida, too, so that wouldn’t hurt either.”