Bill Belichick reportedly drawing interest from teams in this division

Patriots Bill Belichick reportedly drawing interest from teams in this division Bill Belichick was linked to the Carolina Panthers earlier this season. Bill Belichick will have a large list of suitors if New England opts to move on this offseason. (Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff)
Given the lofty resume that he’s compiled over the years, it should come as no surprise that several teams will be vying for Bill Belichick’s services if the Patriots do opt to part ways with the legendary head coach this offseason.
And while it would make for great theater if Belichick was to join a New England rival in the AFC like the Bills for the 2024 season, a new report from CBS Sports maps out a different potential landing spot for Belichick if he hits the market.
NFL reporter Josina Anderson tweeted on Thursday that “there are teams within the NFC South with potential interest” in adding Belichick as their head coach in 2024 and beyond.
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Anderson added that “there are still recent high-level sentiments within the [Patriots] organization regarding desires to mutually part ways and start anew,” especially with New England currently mired at the bottom of the AFC with a 4-12 record.
The entire field of NFC South teams could use a proven coach like Belichick. As of Thursday night, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints currently boast the top record within the division — at 8-8.
The Atlanta Falcons sit behind those two franchises with a 7-9 record, while the Carolina Panthers hold the worst record in the league at 2-14.
Belichick has previously been linked to the Panthers in several reports this season, especially after Panthers owner David Tepper fired his head coach, Frank Reich, after just 11 games this season.
Back in November, The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin linked Belichick and the Panthers as a potential fit, according to league sources “who know the coaching market and know Belichick.”
In November, former Patriots and Panthers quarterback Cam Newton noted that a big name like Belichick would be the ideal target for a deep-pocketed owner like Tepper.
“I think Tepper, knowing what I do know, he’s hoping that he can land Bill Belichick,” Newton said on his “4th & 1” podcast. “That right there will be a win-win-win-win for David Tepper.”
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“The thing that I know would be the enticing lure to it, is because Tepper will give him everything that he would need,” Newton added. “And also that will allow Belichick to say, ‘You know what, things didn’t work out [with the Patriots], now I can show you I can do it somewhere else.”
Granted, even if Tepper did present Belichick with plenty of resources in Carolina, the Panthers may not be the best destination for the 71-year-old Belichick — especially if he wants to break Don Shula’s all-time wins record.
Not only are the Panthers short on talent with their roster, they also don’t hold a first-round pick this year, with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft going to the Chicago Bears.