National Football League

Bill Belichick, Ron Rivera expected to leave Patriots, Commanders after Week 18

Updated Jan. 7, 2024 6:10 p.m. ET

Bill Belichick and the Patriots are expected to part ways following New England's Week 18 game against the New York Jets, while the Washington Commanders are also expected to fire head coach Ron Rivera following Sunday's game against the Dallas Cowboys, FOX Sports' Jay Glazer reported.

It's still unclear how Belichick and the Patriots will part ways, but it may not be a traditional firing after 24 seasons and six Super Bowl titles in New England for Belichick.

"I don't think Bill comes back there," Glazer said. "But now, it's just a matter of, do they decide to move apart over the next couple of days, or do they hold on and try to trade him? If they try to trade him, that would take a little bit longer. Either way, I think his tenure in New England is over."

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Belichick reportedly wants to keep coaching. As a future Hall of Famer who is widely considered one of the greatest football coaches ever, he will likely draw interest.

Following the Patriots' 17-3 loss against the Jets on Sunday, Belichick said after the game he will sit down with New England owner Robert Kraft to discuss his future with the franchise as the pair do after every season.

Some of that interest may come from the Commanders. It has long been anticipated that new majority owner Josh Harris would clean house and fire Rivera and several other staffers whom he inherited from previous Commanders owner Dan Snyder upon taking control of the team in July. NBC Sports reported that Harris is "enamored" by Belichick, who is a native of nearby Maryland.

NFL Media first reported that Rivera will likely be fired this coming week.

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However, the 72-year-old Belichick reportedly wants to surpass former Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula's NFL record of 347 wins, and the Commanders are likely entering a multi-year rebuilding process that may diminish Belichick's interest in the job.

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Meanwhile, Giants head coach Brian Daboll is expected to be retained, and the Steelers would welcome back Mike Tomlin if he chooses to return, Glazer reported. Jets owner Woody Johnson has already publicly committed to bringing back head coach Robert Saleh for another year. Among the NFL's three current interim head coaches, only the Raiders' Antonio Pierce, who has support among key players in the team's locker room, is expected to be a candidate to keep his job on a full-time basis.

Other coaches on shaky ground include the Falcons' Arthur Smith, the Saints' Dennis Allen, the Bears' Matt Eberflus, the Buccaneers' Todd Bowles and the Titans' Mike Vrabel. Allen, Eberflus and Bowles are likely to be retained while Smith's and Vrabel's futures might be determined by how their respective Week 18 games and the following days play out, according to Glazer.

As for possible head coaching candidates, Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson and current University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh — who has been noncommittal on his future with the Wolverines past Monday's College Football Playoff championship game — are expected to be among the highest-profile candidates, per Glazer.

After rebuffing head-coach interest last offseason, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn — who previously led the Falcons to a Super Bowl — has told Glazer he wants to get back to being a head coach.

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