With Bill Belichick out in New...

Bill Belichick is 14 wins short of Don Shula's record for all-time wins, which is 347.

That matters to the conversation of what comes next for Belichick. Belichick is a football historian, and even if he'd never admit it, that record would be special for him. That's understandable. Maybe it will guide what he does after his incredible time with the New England Patriots ended Thursday.

If Belichick wants to chase Shula's record, he'll have to keep coaching at age 72 next season and presumably do it somewhere he can win right away. And even though indications are he'll keep coaching, he'll have options outside the profession, too.

Here are the realistic options for Belichick as he enters his first offseason since 1999 in which he isn't the head coach of the Patriots:

Retirement: This doesn't seem like a high probability. Although he once say in 2009 he wouldn't "be like Marv Levy and coaching in my 70s," he later said he regretted saying that. Still, at his age, perhaps endless weeks preparing for the Jacksonville Jaguars' third-down defense aren't so appealing. Then again, it seems like Belichick loves coaching too much to step away yet.

Television: We like to think of Belichick as a grump who says nothing insightful, but that's usually in a news conference setting in which he doesn't want to reveal anything about his team. He showed on the "NFL 100 All-Time Team" episodes that he can be an excellent talking head who has endless football insight. He might be great on a pregame set. But that also seems unlikely because he's a coaching lifer. So let's look at the teams that have head-coach openings ...

Carolina Panthers: This makes little sense. It's a long-term rebuild, and why would Belichick want to take over a two-win team for a team owner whose reputation is getting worse?

Tennessee Titans: Another situation with a bad team and a poor roster that doesn't seem to make much sense for Belichick.

Las Vegas Raiders: Getting warmer. The Raiders looked better after firing Josh McDaniels. Team owner Mark Davis loves splashy hires. But it still seems like a long shot.

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks moving off of a coach in his 70s, Pete Carroll, just to replace him with another coach in his 70s would be unusual. But Seattle has a roster that could win big right away, especially if Geno Smith returns and gets back to his 2022 form. It actually would be a fun fit, even if it seems unlikely.

Washington Commanders: Multiple reports have said the Commanders don't plan to pursue Belichick. But why not? Washington has the second pick of the draft and a lot of cap space. A quick turnaround isn't out of the question. For a team striving to restore its reputation under new ownership, Belichick would offer a shot at instant legitimacy. Belichick wouldn't be a long-term mentor to whichever quarterback ends up being the second overall draft pick, and maybe that's the reason Washington reportedly isn't interested, but the fit still isn't bad.

Los Angeles Chargers: This seems like a great fit. But will Chargers ownership spend for Belichick? That would go against its history. Then again, Belichick would go to a team with a lot of talent and an established quarterback in Justin Herbert, who would give him the chance to win right away. This is the best fit for Belichick. Will the Chargers be proactive in making it happen?

Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons are leaking to any reporter who will listen that they want Belichick. This is, of course, intentional. The Falcons want everyone, including Belichick, to know they want to land him. The Falcons have some positives. They play in a bad division and could make the playoffs in the 2024 season with just a little improvement. There are some good players on both sides of the ball. The drawback is the quarterback situation, which is completely up in the air after a miserable season at the position, but there will be options between free agency, trades and maybe the NFL Draft. Presumably, team owner Arthur Blank would pay what it would take to land Belichick. The Falcons wouldn't be letting everyone know it's interested if it weren't prepared to pay up.

In short, Belichick will have plenty of options this offseason.