Bill Belichick is strategic. About everything.
As a coach he was strategic. He was strategic in accepting media appearances. He is strategic in what he says on those platforms.
In short, Belichick spends his time settling scores or advancing his agenda. And his recent ManningCast comments about the Buccaneers-Chiefs game have sparked speculation in some quarters that he’s eyeing the Tampa Bay job.
Via JoeBucsFan.com, Belichick praised GM Jason Licht (a former Patriots employee).
“Jason did a great job for me,” said Belichick. “He’s a really great judge, a very smart guy. He’s done a great job bringing the Bucs together. And then you know inside [2022 and 2023,] they were in a bit of trouble, it looked like they were rebuilding, they had Mayfield and a lot of young players there. And here they are playing really competitively again. So he did a great job. I really enjoy Jason. He’s a great guy to be around. You know, he really did a great job with that franchise.
That’s important because it’s a signal that Belichick and Licht can coexist.
Add to that the fact that Belichick spent time grumbling about Tampa Bay’s defensive performance, and it’s possible that Belichick will be interested in coaching the Buccaneers next year. Or, more generally, that he hopes to maximize his options to generate the greatest possible influence.
Jacksonville, Tampa Bay, Dallas. Where else? The more the better for Belichick.
Either way, Belichick doesn’t say anything by accident. He has a reason for everything he says and does. And what he is doing now is trying to create the greatest possible demand for his services by 2025.