This candidate had his eye on Bill Belichick after the Patriots were eliminated

Bill Belichick will not spend the 2024 season on the NFL sidelines, but the future Hall of Fame coach had the opportunity to stay in the league after leaving New England.

That's correct, Options. Plural.

Kyle Shanahan was very open about his interest in bringing Belichick onto the 49ers' coaching staff, but the Patriots legend passed up a potentially lucrative opportunity to launch a career in media. And according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, Belichick made the same decision when he drew interest from the Rams, who needed a new defensive coordinator after Raheem Morris left Los Angeles to become head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.

The Rams' reported interest in the eight-time Super Bowl champion was understandable. Sean McVay had a front-row seat to watch Belichick, the defensive genius, in Super Bowl LIII when New England limited an electrifying LA offense to just three points. And if there's anyone who can keep a team going after losing a superstar like Aaron Donald, it might be Belichick.

Los Angeles stepping in for Morris proved to be quite ironic. McVay promoted Chris Shula, whose legendary grandfather holds the NFL record for most wins as a coach all-time, which Belichick apparently covets. The 72-year-old reportedly wants to return to coaching next year, and when he does, he'll be back on track to make history.