Bill Belichick calls rumors 'ridiculous,' which would be stellar news for this NFL team

CBS Sports reported Sunday it's "widely assumed" Ron Rivera — whose beleaguered team is 4-8 — will not return as Washington Commanders head coach in 2024. Meanwhile, a huge name continually surfaces regarding his potential replacement: longtime New England Patriots HC Bill Belichick.

In his weekly interview on Boston's WEEI, however, Belichick called rumors he'd leave New England "ridiculous."

“I’m just trying to do the best job I can right now," he said Monday, a day after a loss to the New York Giants dropped his team to 2-9. "Obviously [I] need to do better.”

On "The Pat McAfee Show" earlier this month, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said — without revealing his sources — he has "heard" Belichick will leave on the Patriots, with the location "already kind of determined as well." Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk recently floated a Commanders trade for Belichick.

Belichick — who has won six Super Bowls with New England — may be one of the greatest coaches of all time, but he'd be a lousy fit for the Commanders. 

If a team hires Belichick, it's not just getting Belichick the coach. It's also probably getting Belichick the general manager — and he is not a good GM.

The New England Patriots have one of the NFL's worst rosters, a reflection of Belichick's recent drafting. In four years since Tom Brady left town, they've made the playoffs once and have a 27-34 regular-season record.

It's not fair to discount Belichick's coaching prowess during the dynasty run with Brady, which was obviously the peak of his own genius. That said, "The Patriot Way" has crumbled without Brady — the NFL's greatest quarterback of all time and one of the sport's greatest leaders. 

If Rivera is fired, Washington's next head coach must be young, innovative and offensive-minded. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson or Houston Texans OC Bobby Slowik — who served on head coach Mike Shanahan's Washington staff from 2010-13 — would be strong candidates. 

At the very least, the team could promote offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, who has developed a rapport with QB Sam Howell.

The last thing Washington needs is Belichick, 71, who in the offseason signed a multi-year extension with the Patriots, per Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. If Rivera is too old school and demands too much organizational control, the notoriously stubborn Belichick isn't the answer either.

It's understandable new Commanders owner Josh Harris wants to make a splash. When it comes to hiring a head coach, however, he should hire the best fit over the biggest name. 

At this point, that's all Belichick is  — a name.