The ESPN report regarding the rift between Patriots coach Bill Belichick, quarterback Tom Brady, and owner Robert Kraft sparked legitimate speculation that Belichick may want out. If he does, there’s only one place he wants to go.
“I’m sure Bill knows this is his last chance to be the Giants coach,” a source close to Belichick told Gary Myers of the New York Daily News. “Bill sees an opening -- an opening to get to the Giants.”
The unnamed source doesn’t know whether Belichick will try to get out of New England, but if Belichick goes elsewhere, it will be to one destination only: “The Giants are the only place he wants to be. . . . He wants to be the Giants coach. I know that for a fact. That would be pretty cool. My guess is if he wants out, the Giants already know. He would be great with [G.M. Dave] Gettleman. Bill is a football guy. Gettleman is a football guy.”
The problem is that only one of them could be in charge, and Belichick would demand that type of control. Gettleman, who arrived a week ago and is actually older than Belichick, may not want to give up all or part of his newfound power.
But if the Giants’ desire to have Belichick surpasses the Giants’ desire to have Gettleman in control of the football operations, all it takes is a phone call to the Patriots to see if they would be willing to negotiate compensation in the event that the Giants would be able to negotiate a new contract with Belichick.
From the Giants’ perspective, whatever it would take to get Belichick would be worth it. And if there’s any truth to Wickersham’s report, the time to make a move is now.
