FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 17: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on during the second quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Perhaps the greatest surprise of the 2024 NFL coach hiring cycle? The fact nobody hired the greatest coach of all-time in Bill Belichick.

In fact, the Atlanta Falcons were the only team that interviewed Belichick for their head coaching vacancy. After meeting twice, the Falcons passed on Belichick and instead hired former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris for their DC position.

Chase Senior of Chat Sports proposed the idea of the San Francisco 49ers hiring Belichick as their defensive coordinator to replace Steve Wilks, who was let go by Kyle Shanahan three days after the club’s Super Bowl 58 defeat.

It’s been widely reported that Belichick wasn’t hired as a head coach because he’s seeking the same level of power that he held during his tenure with the New England Patriots, where he was the de facto GM.

So it’s unlikely that Belichick would simply accept a coaching assistant role, but the other option is to simply be off the sidelines for the first time since 1974.

The six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach has a good relationship with Shanahan, and the 49ers need to hit on their next DC hire if they’re to get over their Super Bowl heartbreak. Belichick is the greatest defensive coach of all-time, so he’d be a dream pairing with an offensive genius like Shanahan.