NFL analyst claims Bill Belichick’s viral shots at teams have an ulterior motive

Bill Belichick has been fully embracing his new job in NFL media. Despite only needing to talk about football and watch the games semi-casually, one league analyst believes Belichick is subtly positioning himself to have the best odds possible of getting back in the ring in 2025.

Speaking on an October 24 edition of "Pro Football Talk," analyst Mike Florio claimed Belichick was "advancing his ambitions" through his shots.

Mike Florio: [00:01:11] "I've noticed that Belichick seems to be using his media bully pulpit maybe to advance his ambitions [and] settle scores. It seems like he's doing it, because he'll take shots at teams he doesn't like, the Jets and the Patriots. And he'll take shots at spots that might be open for him in 2025," he said.

"Jaguars last week, Giants this week and, yeah, he can only take one job, but if you have as many teams as possible clamoring for you, you know what that means. More power, more money," he added. [00:01:40][29.7] PFT

Most recently, Belichick disagreed with Jerod Mayo's decision to call his players "soft" following a Week 7 blowout loss to the previously one-win Jaguars in London. Per the Daily Mail, Belichick defended the players on the "Let's Go" podcast.

"If you have constructive criticism as a coach, that's your job. But last year, the Patriots led the league in rushing defense - yards per carry - No. 1 in the league. This year, they're 26th or whatever it is," he said.

Exploring Bill Belichick's potential landing spots in 2025

Bill Belichick at New England Patriots v Denver Broncos - Source: Getty

As with every year, the potential opportunities are much more clear in late October than earlier in the year.

At this point, three front-runners have emerged as potential fits for Bill Belichick. A return to the New England Patriots would be quite a U-turn out of Robert Kraft, but perhaps a reunion would allow Belichick a new opportunity to coach up Drake Maye in a pure coaching capacity.

The Cleveland Browns are tied to Deshaun Watson for another two years, but they are not tied to Kevin Stefanski. The Browns are a defensive running team, so Bill Belichick's mind might make good work out of Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, and others.

The Jacksonville Jaguars have struggled this season, currently bringing up the rear in the AFC South. If they can't start over with the newly contracted Trevor Lawrence, they might start over without Doug Pederson.

If any of the above quotes are used, credit "Pro Football Talk" and H/T Sportskeeda.