Bills Central

ESPN analyst makes crazy suggestion for Bills to hire Bill Belichick

Bills Mafia would certainly be rocked if Buffalo hires iconic Bill Belichick as its replacement for Sean McDermott.
Bill Belichick-Josh Allen
Bill Belichick-Josh Allen | David Butler II-Imagn Images

New stadium. Old head coach?

As the Buffalo Bills commence a coaching search in the wake of Monday's firing of Sean McDermott, several names are being mentioned as possible successors. Current offensive coordinator Joe Brady. Former quarterback Frank Reich. Former NFL head coaches Mike McCarthy and Mike McDaniel.

With the New England Patriots having unseated the Bills as AFC East and now on the verge of making it to Super Bowl LX, everyone agrees the Bills must get this hire right. Long the hunted, Buffalo and Josh Allen are suddenly hunting the likes of quarterback Drake Maye, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels and head coach Mike Vrabel in Foxboro.

MORE: Controversial general manager escapes blame in Bills' firing of Sean McDermott

Allen, with an MVP on his resume, will turn 30 this offseason. In June the Bills will open their new Highmark Stadium.

The coaching hire needs to infuse new energy into the organization looking for a fresh start. The coaching hire needs to be a ... 73-year-old?

While kicking around the potential candidates to replace McDermott, former New York Jets' head coach and ESPN analyst Rex Ryan threw out a Hall-of-Fame that would both shake up the NFL and make Bills Mafia initially cringe: Bill Belichick.

RELATED: Bills suffer another playoff exit due to same Sean McDermott-rooted shortcomings

Ryan said Buffalo's dream scenario should be Brian Daboll as offensive coordinator and Belichick as head coach.

Bill Belichick
Jan 11, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots former head coach Bill Belichick (left) embraces Patriots owner Robert Kraft (right) during a press conference at Gillette Stadium to announce Belichick's exit from the team | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

"If you can get the greatest head coach in the history of our game you gotta go do. Now is the time," Ryan said on Monday morning's episode of Get Up! "Everybody can say the game has passed him by because he doesn't have Tom Brady. We'll give him Josh Allen and let's see. I feel strongly about this."

MORE: Bills again join list of most controversial 'catch' rulings in NFL history

Reminded that Belichick currently is under contract at North Carolina and that his protege — Vrabel— now runs the AFC East, Rex responded:

"Do what you have to do to go get him. You think Bill Belichick would be intimidated by Mike Vrabel? He wouldn't be intimidated by the devil."

Belichick won six Super Bowls with the Patriots and needs only 15 more wins to break Don Shula's all-time record for most combined regular-season and playoff victories.

Bill Belichick-Sean McDermott
Bill Belichick-Sean McDermott | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

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Richie Whitt
RICHIE WHITT

Richie Whitt has been a sports media fixture in Dallas-Fort Worth since graduating from UT-Arlington in 1986. His career is highlighted by successful stints in print (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), TV (NBC5) and radio (105.3 The Fan). During his almost 40-year tenure, he's blabbed and blogged on events ranging from Super Bowls to NBA Finals to World Series to Stanley Cups to Olympics to Wimbledons to World Cups. Whitt has been covering the NFL since 1989, and in 1993 authored The 'Boys Are Back, a book chronicling the Dallas Cowboys' run to Super Bowl XXVII.

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