Giants wary of Bill “Belichick” after Week 1 disaster, says moderator

Bill Simmons has started the countdown to the moment when he predicts Bill Belichick will become head coach of the Giants.

Simmons said on his show that he could imagine Giants owner John Mara becoming impatient with general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll if the Giants continue to slump after their devastating 28-6 loss to the Vikings in Week 1. He said if they were fired, Belichick would be the No. 1 candidate for the next coaching job.

“Listen, everyone is getting fired at the Giants and we're watching Belichick,” Simmons said. “He's on five different shows and podcasts. I hope all of those people have contingency plans in place in case Belichick takes the Giants job in Week 7.”

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Simmons referenced a moment on HBO's “Hard Knocks” where he noticed Mara — who later said he “needed to see significant improvement from Schoen and Daboll in 2024” — was starting to get dissatisfied. When Schoen informed Mara about Saquon Barkley's free agency, Mara said, “I'm not going to sleep well if Saquon goes to Philadelphia,” which of course happened.

“It was like the movie 'The Godfather': 'I'm going to hold some of the people in this room accountable,'” Simmons said.

Belichick was an assistant coach and defensive coordinator for the Giants from 1979 to 1990, helping New York win Super Bowls in 1986 and 1990. He left the Patriots after the 2023 season after a 4-13 record. He interviewed for the head coaching job with the Falcons, and the 49ers and Rams also expressed interest in Belichick returning as defensive coordinator, but when he didn't get a head coaching job, Belichick decided to leave the NFL and turn to sports media.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter wrote that Belichick's appearances on numerous shows and platforms such as “The Pat McAfee Show” and “ManningCast” could be a way for the former coach to stay up to date on the league and his players' performances so he's prepared when a new coaching position opens up.

“Those who know Belichick best say the six-time Super Bowl winner, despite his growing media resume, would still like to return to coaching in 2025,” Schefter wrote. “But only in the right situations and with good jobs. Sources say Belichick is expected to be selective about if and when he returns to the sidelines.”