Is Bill Belichick not guaranteed a head-coaching job in 2025?

On the latest edition of the "Sports Media Podcast with Richard Deitsch," former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher became the latest noteworthy member of the NFL community to say that former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick "will go back to coaching" via the league's next hiring cycle. 

In a piece published on Thursday, Sports Illustrated senior NFL writer Conor Orr suggested not every team that has an opening come January will rush to call Belichick.

"Still the most entertaining and discussed figure this cycle, the legendary Bill Belichick is believed by some people to be a prime candidate in the head coaching world and by others a prime candidate for the media world," Orr wrote. "Just like last year at this time, the industry is divided on the eight-time Super Bowl winner (six as a head coach), who will enter next season at age 73."

While Belichick famously guided the Patriots to six Super Bowl championships from 2000 through the 2018 season, New England missed the playoffs three times in four years after quarterback Tom Brady left the organization as a free agent in March 2020. 

It was subsequently reported that "Belichick’s mishandling of the Patriots' quarterback situation" following Brady's departure, coupled with "a growing concern over the coach’s ability to relate to this generation of players," resulted in teams such as the Atlanta Falcons hiring other candidates this past winter. 

Belichick may have turned the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles down, assuming the Atlanta job was essentially his before Patriots owner Robert Kraft allegedly gave Falcons owner Arthur Blank a call. 

For what it's worth, Jeff Howe, Jacob Robinson and Dianna Russini of The Athletic all believe Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones could be ready to replace head coach Mike McCarthy with Belichick. McCarthy is in the final season of his contract with the Cowboys at 3-6 and likely headed toward a losing campaign. 

If Jones sticks with McCarthy as other teams truly are "divided" about what Belichick can/can't offer a franchise in 2025, the man viewed by many as the greatest coach in the history of pro football could decide to remain a media personality until he's ready to stop working, in general.