Editions
Los 40 USA
Scores
Follow us on
Hello

NFL I Playoffs

The NFL rule that Bill Belichick wants to see changed for the playoffs and Super Bowl

The former New England Patriots coach has some strong opinions on a rule the NFL could change to potentially improve the postseason.

The former New England Patriots coach has some strong opinions on a rule the NFL could change to potentially improve the postseason.
David Butler IIUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

Bill Belichick has been in the football coaching business since the 1970s, beginning his NFL coaching career in 1979 with the New York Giants, bringing them to two Super Bowls in his 12 years as a coaching assistant. He was the New England Patriots' head coach for 20 years, and in that time, he brought them to six Super Bowl victories. He also happens to have the second-most wins in NFL history (333). After a year off from coaching, he will return as the head coach of the UNC Tar Heels in the 2025-26 college football season.

So, you could say that Belichick has some knowledge of the coaching world and how it works, as well as how it might be improved. And he has a bone to pick with the NFL about how they do things during the playoffs and Super Bowl.

Belichick’s issue with NFL’s hiring of head coaches

Recently, the Cincinnati Bengals announced that their top candidate for their new defensive coordinator would be Al Golden, the current Notre Dame DC. They waited until after Golden’s team played in the College Football Playoff final to reveal that information.

On the other hand, while the Detroit Lions, who earned the top seed in the NFC, were resting on their bye week before playing the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round, their offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and defensive coordinator Aaron Glen were both conducting interviews with other teams. They later went on to lose to the Commanders in a shocking upset.

Two days after the Lions' loss, Johnson quickly moved on to become the head coach of the Chicago Bears.

What Belichick would like to point out to the NFL is that allowing coaching interviews to go on while teams are still playing in the postseason can definitely cause distractions for those teams.

“I’ve never been a big fan of it,” Belichick said on the Let’s Go! podcast on Tuesday. “I think it’s really unfortunate when you have a team, including the coaches and the coordinators, worked so hard all year to get to the playoffs, to have an opportunity to play in conference championships and Super Bowls, and then they’re totally distracted by another team, who was a bad team, who has a coaching change, infringing on that team that’s trying to get to a championship by hiring one of their top coaches.”

Belichick noted how “disruptive” it is for a play caller to be thinking about future possibilities in a new place while they’re trying to prepare for an extremely significant game in the present.

“When I took the head job at Cleveland, I didn’t interview for the head coaching position, at Cleveland or Tampa, until we finished playing, until the Super Bowl was over after we had beaten Buffalo [in Super Bowl XXV],” Belichick continued.

“You’re gonna get started at the same time anyway as a coach. It’s not that, but the distraction that it leads into, I think I was very fortunate and glad that I didn’t have to deal with that,” Belichick said. “So I don’t like it, but it’s not my rule. It’s not my choice. So I think it’s unfair to the teams that have performed and worked so hard to get to that position to have another team that’s obviously not a good team, that has created their own negative situation by having to hire a new coach because of their performance, generally, is able to disrupt the team that’s trying to win a championship.”

Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

Rules