Where will Bill Belichick be in 2024?

The New England Patriots are using their bye week to figure out where the team is headed in 2023. The Patriots are off to their worst start since 2000 – Bill Belichick’s first season – with only two victories in their first 10 games.

We at the NFL Power Poll have used New England’s bye week to try to figure out where Belichick is headed in 2024. He’s on the hot seat in New England. So we asked our panel of former players, coaches, officials, talent evaluators, writers and broadcasters where Belichick will be in 2024 and offered up five options – back in New England, coaching either the Raiders or the Chargers, sitting in a television studio on his fall Sundays or “other.”

“Other” prevailed with 79 pf the 183 votes cast. New England was next with 52 votes, followed by the Chargers with 29, the TV studio with 15 and the Raiders with 8. “Other” included comments that he could be the next coach of the Cowboys or Commanders, sitting out the 2024 season, or retirement.

“Even at 72 years old, I believe Belichick takes a year off before finding the right fit to continue his pursuit of Shula's record,” said Wayne Larrivee, the radio voice of the Green Bay Packers.

Belichick has 300 career coaching victories. He needs 29 more to pass Don Shula as the game's all-time winningest coach. But his legacy has been tied to that of quarterback Tom Brady. They won six Super Bowls together. So Belichick knows how much a quarterback means to a team’s success.

“It makes total sense for the Patriots and Belichick to part ways,” said Gene Frenette, a columnist for the Florida Times Union. “New England clearly needs to hit the reset button. Knowing how much Belichick values NFL history, it's hard to imagine him not continuing to pursue Shula's record somewhere. The destination that makes sense is the Los Angeles Chargers because of Justin Herbert. Bill won big with the Patriots because he had the quarterback. The Chargers offer him that.”

Forget the Raiders, says Ron Futrell, a sports reporter for KLAS television in Las Vegas.

“The Raiders tried `The Patriot Way’ (with Josh McDaniels) and it failed miserably,” he said. “He ain’t coming here. The game has long since passed him by.”

Both Hall of Fame wide receiver Drew Pearson and former Hall-of-Fame voter Vito Stellino say it’s time for Belichick to take the noble way out.

“Isn't it time for Belichick to retire?” Stellino said. “And why would another team hire him because we know how he has done without Brady.”

Added Pearson: “It’s time for Belichick to retire, period. And if so, please no TV job for sure.”

Bruce Lowitt, a senior writer for Barstad Communications, expects Belichick to stay put.

“Belichick will never be fired - Robert Kraft loves him - and likely will want to go out a winner (if not a champion again),” he said. “So unless he decides it’s not worth another year, he’ll be back in Foxboro next year.”

In our second question, we asked our panel to pick the winner of the biggest game of the weekend – a Super Bowl rematch between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles Monday night. The Eagles have a league-best 8-1 record and the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs are a step behind at 7-2. The game will be at Arrowhead Stadium.

Our panel liked the Chiefs by a 114-69 margin.

“I think the Eagles are the better team, however, my index finger wouldn’t allow me to vote for them,” Pearson said. “Go KC….!”

Added Bud Geracie, the sports editor of the Bay Area News Group: “I'll go with the home team -- Chiefs over Eagles…and Belichick on the couch.”

Added Stellino: “It’s difficult not to take Patrick Mahomes at home.”