Breaking news: New York Giants head coach fired two players today due to a background argument…..

NFL coaching carousel recap: Patriots, Seahawks among teams to make coaching changes

New England moved quickly to hire a replacement after parting with Bill Belichick on Thursday.

NFL head coach vacancies and hires
Eight NFL teams have made head-coaching changes this offseason. So far, only one vacancy — the New England Patriots — has already been filled.

Cowboys VP of player personnel Will McClay sticking with Dallas
The Dallas Cowboys received some good news Friday when vice president of player personnel Will McClay informed the franchise that he will not be interviewing for any other NFL general manager positions.

“I talked to a couple of people, but I didn’t want to waste anybody’s time,” McClay told DallasCowboys.com. “I am committed to being here. The commitment I made to my son and the organization. I’m going to roll with it. I have another year left on my contract.”

McClay has been a major factor in the team’s roster building, particularly in the draft. Since taking over the Cowboys’ draft, Dallas has selected standouts like RG Zack Martin, QB Dak Prescott, DE/LB Micah Parsons, WR CeeDee Lamb, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, CB Trevon Diggs, CB DaRon Bland and LG Tyler Smith.

“It’s something that comes up every year because obviously he’s a guy who does an amazing job for us,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “Obviously we think the world of Will. Always want him to be a Cowboy, but everything is always a work in progress.

“We’d love for Will to be here as long as we can keep him here.”

McClay is unlikely to be named the Cowboys’ general manager as long as owner and GM Jerry Jones is running the team. Stephen Jones was asked about that possibility Friday.

“I’m not into titles or anything like that,” he responded. “I’ve never been a title guy. We’re just going to keep doing what we do, it’s working.”

McClay had reportedly drawn interest from the Los Angeles Chargers and Washington Commanders.

“He’s very important to our operation, without a doubt,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “The most important thing you want as an organization when you know things are right is to build off the consistency. Very happy for Will personally, because I know the amount of work he puts into this. But this is obviously great for the Dallas Cowboys.”

January 13, 2024 at 6:46 PM GMT+1

Vic Tafur
Staff Writer, Raiders

Why Antonio Pierce’s Raiders case is different from Rich Bisaccia’s
Why Antonio Pierce’s Raiders case is different from Rich Bisaccia’s
Two years ago, the Las Vegas Raiders’ interim coach had the players’ support and waited for owner Mark Davis to go through the interview process before filling the full-time position.

“We went to the playoffs, and we all left the locker room that day thinking that he was going to get it,” one player said last week.

Well, we all know now that Rich Bisaccia did not get the job, with Davis instead opting to hire the duo of Josh McDaniels as head coach and Dave Ziegler as general manager. That obviously was a mistake, and here we are again, with Davis deciding whether he should rubber stamp interim coach Antonio Pierce after a 5-4 finish that was better than the record indicates.

The dozen players who remain from the 2021 roster are even louder in their support for Pierce, especially star players Maxx Crosby and Josh Jacobs. Crosby is even trying to get it trending on social media.

So, this raises the obvious question:

Why would Davis pick Pierce when he didn’t go with Bisaccia?

The difference starts with Jon Gruden and ends with Davis’ desire to return to the winning days and style of his late father, Al. The word “culture” is grossly overused in football circles these days, but the Raiders of the 1970s and ’80s had their own unique identity and customs.

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Tafur: Why Antonio Pierce’s case to drop the interim tag is different from Rich Bisaccia’s
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Tafur: Why Antonio Pierce’s case to drop the interim tag is different from Rich Bisaccia’s

January 13, 2024 at 6:00 PM GMT+1

Ben Standig
Staff Writer, Washington Commanders

Commanders head-coaching candidates could boost case in playoffs
The Washington Commanders added another member to their head coach search committee. With seven candidates in the playoff bracket — and perhaps others yet to be revealed — having Adam Peters on board is ideal timing.

Peters has yet to sign a contract, but the soon-to-be former San Francisco 49ers assistant general manager agreed to terms to become the Commanders’ next general manager on Friday. Now, the personnel executive who came up the ranks scouting for Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots and the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos will have a significant say in Washington’s next coach.

“Thorough but rapid process” is how managing partner Josh Harris described his approach to these searches when the week began. As the first proper football week of the Harris era showed, he was not lying.

“I want to get the best talent here and then hold them accountable and work with them. What that person wants to do or not do is really important in our decision process,” Harris said at his Monday news conference. “Doesn’t mean that you are not involved in (the coaching search), but it means that, to a large extent, you’re relying on that person to bring a series of candidates to the table.”

Other than meeting with Harris and other search committee members in person, any remaining pivot points will come during the playoffs. Twelve of the 14 teams play Saturday through Monday. The top seeds in each conference, Baltimore and San Francisco, kick off the following week.

These games won’t represent the full scope of any evaluation, but making a solid final impression won’t hurt. The playoffs also put these coordinators and assistants in pressure-packed situations. Final choices are not always about game plans and play calling. Washington isn’t only searching for an offensive mind to mentor a rookie quarterback or a defensive leader. It wants a leader of men.

Here’s a look at what Commanders fans should ponder as they consider who should be the next head coach.

Commanders’ head-coaching candidates take center stage in playoffs
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Commanders’ head-coaching candidates take center stage in playoffs

January 13, 2024 at 5:00 PM GMT+1

Jeff Howe
National NFL Insider

Mishandling of Mac Jones, QB position led to Bill Belichick’s demise
Bill Belichick’s failure to develop Mac Jones, both in mishandling him individually and in his inability to build an offensive environment conducive to a quarterback’s success, was the undoing of his tenure with the New England Patriots.

And Belichick’s string of decisions along the way — from the 2021 NFL Draft through Jones’ downfall and benching — was a microcosm of the coach’s chance to end his watch over the NFL’s greatest dynasty on his terms. The totality of his 24-season run in New England was unprecedented and might never be repeated, but his quarterback-related decisions over the past few years led to Thursday’s split.

Belichick’s struggles to build a playoff-worthy roster peaked with his mishandling of Jones, but there were related examples of missteps that had woven their way into the fabric of a team that had become largely uncompetitive with a 12-22 record over the past two seasons.

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How Bill Belichick’s mishandling of Mac Jones, offense, led to demise with Patriots
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How Bill Belichick’s mishandling of Mac Jones, offense, led to demise with Patriots

January 13, 2024 at 4:01 PM GMT+1

Dianna Russini
Senior Writer, NFL

Lions OC Ben Johnson has the Commanders’ interest
While Washington is going to attack this search for a head coach with openness and flexibility, the Commanders are targeting Detroit’s Ben Johnson as their top choice, league sources said. Carolina is also hoping to land Johnson.

January 13, 2024 at 4:00 PM GMT+1

Chad Graff
Staff Writer, Patriots

Inside a franchise-altering 25 hours for the Patriots
FOXBORO, Mass. — Robert Kraft took a long pause. He was standing in the massive auditorium at Gillette Stadium two hours after saying goodbye to the most successful head coach in NFL history in what he stressed was a “mutual parting.” Now, here he was contemplating how to answer a question about whether he had any reservations in the final moments before deciding to split with Bill Belichick.

He took a deep breath.

“That’s a good question,” Kraft said. “This is a results business, and certain things in life, it’s instinctual.”

So, no, there were no second thoughts or decisions made on a whim. Kraft hatched a plan for how this day would go — whenever it came. And it went largely as planned.

That’s how, over a franchise-altering 25 hours, the New England Patriots went from splitting with Belichick to making Jerod Mayo the 15th coach in team history.

This story, pieced together after speaking to several league sources who spoke under condition of anonymity, details how the Patriots moved so quickly from one coach to the next and why Kraft and his son Jonathan believe so wholeheartedly in Mayo that they didn’t deem a coaching search necessary.

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From Bill Belichick to Jerod Mayo: Inside a franchise-altering 25 hours for the Patriots
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From Bill Belichick to Jerod Mayo: Inside a franchise-altering 25 hours for the Patriots

January 13, 2024 at 12:18 AM GMT+1

Daniel Popper
Staff Writer, Chargers

Chargers to interview Bears AGM Ian Cunningham: Source
Chargers to interview Bears AGM Ian Cunningham: Source
(Photo: USA Today)

The Los Angeles Chargers are scheduled to interview Chicago Bears assistant general manager Ian Cunningham on Sunday for their general manager opening, according to a league source.

There is interest on both sides, and the Chargers now have a legitimate shot of landing one the top GM candidates from the past two hiring cycles.

Cunningham interviewed for the Washington Commanders’ GM job and was a finalist for that position. Washington hired San Francisco 49ers assistant Adam Peters on Friday, which means Cunningham is still available as a Chargers target.

Cunningham spent the past two seasons with the Bears under GM Ryan Poles. This season, Chicago rebounded from a 2-7 start and an injury to starting quarterback Justin Fields to finish 7-10. The Bears ranked 11th in weighted DVOA to close out the year, according to FTNFantasy.

The key move was trading for edge rusher Montez Sweat at the deadline. Sweat, who the Bears signed to a four-year, $98 million extension after the trade, had six sacks in nine games with Chicago. He made history as the first player to lead two different teams in sacks in the same season. Sweat also had 6 1/2 sacks with Washington. The Bears ranked fifth in defensive EPA per play after the Sweat trade, according to TruMedia.

Cunningham got his NFL front-office start in 2008 in Baltimore when he was hired by the Ravens as a player personnel assistant. After five seasons in that role, Cunningham spent four seasons as an area scout. In 2017, he was hired by the Philadelphia Eagles as the director of college scouting. He was promoted to assistant director of player personnel in 2019. He was promoted again by the Eagles in 2021 to director of player personnel. Cunningham was a part of winning two Super Bowls — 2012 with the Ravens and 2017 with the Eagles, two of the most consistent organizations in the league.

January 12, 2024 at 9:50 PM GMT+1

Chad Graff
Staff Writer, Patriots

Why the Patriots were not required to interview anyone
The Patriots were able to hire Jerod Mayo so quickly because of language in Mayo’s contract that was unknown before Thursday evening and because of stipulations in the league’s anti-tampering policy and Rooney Rule.

When the Patriots re-worked Mayo’s contract last year to entice Mayo to turn down head coaching interviews elsewhere, they established in writing that Mayo would be the successor to Bill Belichick. They then communicated that with the NFL.

A condition in the Rooney Rule and anti-tampering policy allows teams to bypass the typical interview process if they establish in writing a succession plan and communicate that with the league before the start of the season. Three teams have made use of this provision before: the Baltimore Ravens in hiring general manager Eric DeCosta, the Indianapolis Colts in hiring former coach Jim Caldwell and the Seattle Seahawks with former coach Jim Mora Jr.

So the Patriots knew all along that they wanted Mayo to succeed Belichick. And they didn’t deviate from that plan even with big names like Jim Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel on the market.

January 12, 2024 at 6:30 PM GMT+1

Mike Sando
Senior Writer, NFL

A closer look at the NFL coaching GOAT debate
A closer look at the NFL coaching GOAT debate
(Photos of Don Shula, left, and Bill Belichick: Focus on Sport, Tom Pennington / Getty Images)

Bill Belichick’s New England Patriots won three-fourths of their regular-season games during Tom Brady’s 19-year tenure as starting quarterback, an incredible run of dominance. Winning seemed automatic, including when injury sidelined Brady for nearly all of the 2008 season. For so long, all the evidence supported the case for Belichick as the NFL’s greatest coach.

Had the Patriots maintained their Brady-era win rate following the quarterback’s 2020 departure, they would have celebrated a historic milestone this season. Belichick would have passed Don Shula for most combined regular-season and playoff victories. It wasn’t to be. The 2023 season became a dreary slog instead of a victory lap. By then, Brady had won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay, leading to some reassessment of the role he played in Belichick’s success.

The agreement Thursday between Belichick and Patriots owner Robert Kraft to separate after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles leaves unfinished business for Belichick to pursue as he likely continues coaching elsewhere. Belichick needs 15 victories to supplant Shula for most combined regular-season and playoff wins (Shula holds a 347-333 edge, including 328-302 without playoffs).

“He is the greatest coach of all times,” Kraft said when announcing Belichick’s departure. “What Bill accomplished with us, in my opinion, will never be replicated, and the fact that it was done in the salary-cap and free-agency era makes it even more extraordinary.”

Recency bias isn’t required to declare Belichick the NFL’s greatest coach, but it helps. Fewer people know enough about Paul Brown, George Halas, Tom Landry, Vince Lombardi, Chuck Noll, Bill Walsh or Shula to make an informed evaluation.

Those who consider Belichick the greatest can point to his six Super Bowl victories and rest their case. Halas and Lombardi rank second in league championships in the playoff era (since 1933) with five apiece, followed by Noll with four. Seven others, Shula among them, won three apiece. (Shula’s 1968 Baltimore Colts were NFL champs, but lost to the AFL’s New York Jets in the Super Bowl.)

Passing Shula as the winningest coach in NFL history stands as the most obvious remaining milestone for Belichick to pass on his journey to an even higher level of football immortality. But the win column is not the only place where Shula still holds an edge nearly three decades after his retirement from the Dolphins. There’s still a great case for Shula as the NFL’s gold standard — a conversation to be had, for sure.

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Bill Belichick is the NFL’s greatest coach … since Don Shula? A closer look at the GOAT debate
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Bill Belichick is the NFL’s greatest coach … since Don Shula? A closer look at the GOAT debate

January 12, 2024 at 5:45 PM GMT+1

Adam Jahns
Senior Writer, Bears

Bears OC opening should be appealing job
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — When the Houston Texans introduced offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik on March 8, 2023, he didn’t have quarterback C.J. Stroud to coach yet.

But he had the opportunity to coach him.

Or quarterback Bryce Young.

The Texans had hired DeMeco Ryans, the San Francisco 49ers’ former defensive coordinator, to be their head coach earlier that year. But they weren’t far removed from the short coaching stints of David Culley and Lovie Smith and all the turmoil that former executive Jack Easterby reportedly caused. They were said to be a mess.

But Houston still had the No. 2 pick — and more.

“There’s a lot of exciting things at the Texans,” Slowik said when he was introduced that day. “There’s a lot of youth on the roster that can play. There’s a lot of capital that you have that you can take advantage of in the offseason and keep putting pieces together.”

Nothing changes the perception of a franchise faster than getting the quarterback right. This week, the Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans and Atlanta Falcons requested to interview Slowik for their head-coaching vacancies. Something obviously worked in Slowik’s pairing with Stroud. The Texans went 10-7 and advanced to the playoffs. Stroud passed for 4,108 yards, 23 touchdowns and five interceptions for a 100.8 rating as a rookie.

What the Texans are experiencing with Slowik would be the best-case scenario for Bears coach Matt Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles next season. They’re searching for their next offensive coordinator after firing Luke Getsy on Wednesday. Getsy’s replacement will play a crucial role in the draft evaluations of the quarterbacks — starting with USC’s Caleb Williams and North Carolina’s Drake Maye — and then have input on the potential selection of one of them with the first pick of the NFL Draft.

That in itself should make the Bears an appealing situation for prospective offensive coordinators. Eberflus and president/CEO Kevin Warren don’t have to tell us their phones are blowing up. It’s easy to see why candidates would be interested in the Bears. It begins with the first pick. But the Bears also have the ninth pick, ample salary-cap space and a young, burgeoning defense.

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Young QBs, opportunity: Why Bears should appeal to all offensive coordinator candidates
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Young QBs, opportunity: Why Bears should appeal to all offensive coordinator candidates

January 12, 2024 at 5:00 PM GMT+1

Chad Graff
Staff Writer, Patriots

Patriots GM candidates: Eliot Wolf, Matt Groh and more
For more than two decades, the New England Patriots were constructed unlike any other NFL team. Bill Belichick was the head coach, but also, effectively, the general manager. Though he often had plenty of high-ranking assistants with him, he led the personnel department and made the final decisions.

Even Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan have general managers they work with to identify talent, make draft selections and decide on free agents. But with the Patriots, every important decision was made by Belichick.

Now, that’s changing. Belichick is gone via a mutual split with the Patriots. The team now seems prepared to hire Jerod Mayo as head coach. But they’ll probably need someone to head the personnel department even if Kraft refused to discuss that subject Thursday. Let’s look at who the top options might be if Kraft decides to hire someone for that role.

Patriots general manager search: 12 candidates to replace Bill Belichick
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Patriots general manager search: 12 candidates to replace Bill Belichick

January 12, 2024 at 4:15 PM GMT+1

Dan Duggan
Staff Writer, Giants

Inside Wink Martindale’s messy divorce with the Giants
Inside Wink Martindale’s messy divorce with the Giants
(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; photos of Brian Daboll and Wink Martindale: Kevin Sabitus, Stephen Maturen / Getty Images)

The relationship between New York Giants coach Brian Daboll and defensive coordinator Wink Martindale came to an explosive end Monday, less than 24 hours after the team finished a disappointing 6-11 season.

Neither side looked good as details emerged about the final hours of their partnership, with Daboll’s firing of Martindale’s two most trusted assistants, Kevin and Drew Wilkins, and Martindale’s responding by saying, “F— you” and storming out of the room, according to team sources granted anonymity by The Athletic because they are not authorized to discuss the situation publicly. The Giants announced Wednesday the sides had “mutually agreed to part ways.”

Even in a decade full of dysfunction, the Martindale blowup stands out as a low point for the Giants. Such an ugly departure leads to an obvious question: How could a relationship that appeared so promising dissolve into such acrimony?

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Brian Daboll vs. Wink Martindale: Inside the Giants coaches’ messy divorce
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Brian Daboll vs. Wink Martindale: Inside the Giants coaches’ messy divorce

January 12, 2024 at 3:30 PM GMT+1

Chad Graff
Staff Writer, Patriots

What the Patriots like about Jerod Mayo
Simply put, everyone seems to gravitate toward Jerod Mayo. Mayo was drafted by Bill Belichick with the No. 10 pick in 2008, then went on to be a team leader as a linebacker. He entered a locker room fresh off the team’s 2007 undefeated regular season that was filled with star players — and quickly earned their respect, becoming a captain his second season. When he was injured toward the end of his career, Mayo grew close with Steve Belichick, Bill’s son, and studied film with him.

He didn’t initially enter coaching after retiring as a player in 2015, opting to explore other interests including in business. But Belichick lured Mayo back because he was so impressed with Mayo as a player and thought Mayo had a calling to be a football coach. Now, the 37-year-old is poised to succeed Belichick.

Patriots assistant Jerod Mayo considered front-runner to replace Bill Belichick: Sources
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Patriots assistant Jerod Mayo considered front-runner to replace Bill Belichick: Sources

January 12, 2024 at 3:05 PM GMT+1

Dianna Russini
Senior Writer, NFL

It was always Jerod Mayo
The New England Patriots never reached out to a single other coach, including the hot names like Jim Harbaugh, Mike Vrabel, or even Ben Johnson, league sources said. They made their decision less than a day after firing Bill Belichick with a plan in place.

January 12, 2024 at 2:45 PM GMT+1

Michael-Shawn Dugar
Staff Writer, Seahawks

Is John Schneider in search of Pete Carroll 2.0?
Is John Schneider in search of Pete Carroll 2.0?
(Photo: USA Today)

If Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider, who will lead the search for a new coach, wants to maintain the culture that Pete Carroll created, he might be inclined to hire one of his former coaches, like Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn or Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales. The logic would be to have some cultural continuity while adding a fresh perspective and, in theory, a better coaching staff. It’s unclear whether Schneider is leaning in that direction, but it would be easy to rationalize.

Quinn has head coaching experience — he ran the Falcons for six seasons — and would understand the expectations that come with succeeding Carroll.

Additionally, Quinn has a defensive line background, which could be important for a Seattle team that hasn’t been dominant up front in years. The Seahawks never had a Pro Bowl defensive tackle during the Schneider-Carroll era. Their Pro Bowlers on the edge were Michael Bennett (2015-17) and Cliff Avril (2016), two free-agent acquisitions. The Seahawks haven’t had a double-digit sack producer since Frank Clark (13) and Jarran Reed (10.5) in 2018.

Quinn’s work with Dallas’ cornerbacks might suggest he can unlock the full potential of a Seattle roster that features five defensive backs who have made the Pro Bowl within the last four seasons: Riq Woolen (2022), Quandre Diggs (2020-22), Jamal Adams (2020), Julian Love (2023) and Devon Witherspoon (2023). Some of those players might not be retained, but for the guys who end up sticking around, it will be incumbent on the new coach to get the most out of the secondary. The talent is there. A coaching upgrade could lead to better consistency.

Canales doesn’t have head-coaching experience, but he would have the same understanding of Seattle’s culture — he spent 13 years with the Seahawks after following Carroll from USC — and expectations associated with his replacing former boss.

If Schneider wants to keep most of the offense intact, then Canales’ familiarity could be beneficial. Canales has worked with Geno Smith, Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Will Dissly, Charles Cross, Abraham Lucas and Ken Walker III — who are all under contract for next season — in addition to impending free agents Damien Lewis, Colby Parkinson and Noah Fant.

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With Pete Carroll out, Seahawks GM John Schneider faces 4 pressing questions
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With Pete Carroll out, Seahawks GM John Schneider faces 4 pressing questions

Patriots promoting Jerod Mayo to head coach
The Patriots have hired Jerod Mayo as their next head coach, per league source.

Patriots assistant Jerod Mayo considered front-runner to replace Bill Belichick: Sources
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Patriots assistant Jerod Mayo considered front-runner to replace Bill Belichick: Sources

January 12, 2024 at 2:00 PM GMT+1

Jeff Howe
National NFL Insider

How would Belichick fit with the Panthers?
Fact: Bill Belichick would become an overnight hero for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 2015 or had a winning record since 2017. Quarterback Bryce Young, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, played for Belichick’s close friend, Nick Saban, at Alabama, so the coach would have the necessary intel on a key position. Additionally, the NFC South is winnable in 2024, even for a team coming off a 2-15 season.

Fiction: Owner David Tepper just fired well-respected veteran head coach Frank Reich after just 11 games. Tepper already has employed six head coaches, including interims, since the 2019 season. That’s a startling number for an owner with a reputation for being too hands-on. Belichick’s relationship with Robert Kraft had deteriorated of late, and it’s a challenge to envision a scenario in which Belichick and Tepper could work well together.

It’s also hard to envision this being the ideal place for Belichick to get his 15 wins.

Where might Bill Belichick coach next? Fact or fiction with the 7 NFL vacancies
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Where might Bill Belichick coach next? Fact or fiction with the 7 NFL vacancies

Why ‘Bill Belichick is nothing without Tom Brady’ is the dumbest sports argument
Bill Belichick has never won anything when he didn’t have Tom Brady as his quarterback.

— Like, everybody

OK, not everybody. But it sure gets a lot of airplay. And the people who use the line generally do so with a harrumph of finality, as though theirs is the last word on the topic, case closed, no more calls, we have a winner. They also would have you believe it’s a brainy sports statistic they’ve come up with on their own, this after studying the rosters, crunching the numbers and watching hours of game film. And then they deliver their findings as an urgent, we-interrupt-this-program news bulletin, or as if they’re belting out the big song in a hit Broadway musical, the kind that theatergoers are humming as they filter out to West 44th Street.

Without context — and hang on, as I’ll be providing context in a moment — Belichick’s record in games without Tom Brady as the primary quarterback, counting the playoffs, is 85-102. This includes Belichick’s five seasons with the Cleveland Browns (37-45), his inaugural 2000 season with the Patriots (5-11), the first two games of 2001, which includes the Mo Lewis hit that landed Drew Bledsoe in the hospital (0-2), the 2008 season in which Matt Cassell came off the bench in the first quarter of the season opener following the Bernard Pollard hit that ripped up Brady’s left knee (11-5), the first four games of the 2016 season while Brady was sitting out his Deflategate suspension (3-1) and the mostly messy four seasons of the post-Brady era (29-38).

There it is. All you need to do is roll out these numbers and then quickly leave the room before anyone gets a chance to say, “But, hey, wait a minute,” and you can strut through the rest of the day feeling quite pleased with yourself.

But, hey, wait a minute.

Cue the context in 3 … 2 …

The problem with caterwauling about what Belichick failed to accomplish without Brady is that it takes an awkward detour to avoid discussing what these two men, working as a coach-quarterback tandem, did accomplish. And what they accomplished was nine trips to the Super Bowl and six championships.

I am here to tell you there’s no way, just no way, Brady would have quarterbacked the Patriots to six Super Bowl victories without Belichick. And I know what you’re thinking: How could anybody possibly make that statement!!?? And you’re right. To do so requires the creation of an alternate timeline, the sort that led to many great adventures for Marty McFly and Doc Brown but doesn’t work here in the real world. Agreed? Good. But accepting that premise requires that we also accept this: There’s no way of knowing how many times Brady would have quarterbacked the Patriots to the Super Bowl winner’s circle had there been another head coach in residence.

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Why ‘Bill Belichick is nothing without Tom Brady’ is the dumbest sports argument ever
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Why ‘Bill Belichick is nothing without Tom Brady’ is the dumbest sports argument ever

Patriots hiring Jerod Mayo as coach to replace Bill Belichick
One day after a mutual parting with the most decorated NFL head coach in history, the New England Patriots hired the man to succeed Bill Belichick.

Jerod Mayo was named as the 15th head coach in franchise history, the team announced Friday. An introductory news conference to formalize the move will take place Wednesday at noon ET.

Mayo, 37, becomes the NFL’s youngest head coach. Lured into coaching by Belichick in 2019, Mayo became one of Belichick’s most trusted assistants, helping develop the team’s defensive game plans in recent seasons.