Reporter addresses buzz linking Bill Belichick with Giants

New York Giants reporter Jordan Raanan of ESPN sounds unconvinced that Bill Belichick is waiting to see if team co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch will part ways with head coach Brian Daboll by the middle of January 2025. 

"I’ve heard this multiple times over the past five, six, seven years," Raanan explained during the latest edition of the "Breaking Big Blue" podcast, as shared by Jimmy Hascup of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. "And it’s a dirty little secret, maybe, about Bill Belichick and the Giants. ... (Belichick) has great affinity and memories with the Giants organization. ... (But) I don’t think he looks at the Giants the same way he used to look at the Giants when he was here."

Belichick earned two Super Bowl rings serving as an assistant and, later, as defensive coordinator with the Giants from 1979 through the 1990 season, and the 71-year-old has repeatedly been linked with the organization after Daboll's club went 6-11 this season and after he seemingly pushed defensive coordinator Don "Wink" Martindale out the door. 

However, Raanan said that Belichick "has given advice to people that he didn’t really like the setup of the Giants organization" and is "not so fond" of Mara and Tisch. Under the co-owners, the Giants have notched just a single playoff victory since they defeated Belichick's New England Patriots to win Super Bowl XLVI in February 2012. 

"He’s directly told that to people — be careful about the organization and their setup and the way it’s run," Raanan added about how Belichick allegedly views the Giants. "That’s happened. That’s been relayed to me on multiple occasions. So, yes, Bill Belichick loves the New York Football Giants, the organization, the memories he has from the past. It doesn’t mean he’s bat---- crazy in love with the Giants organization right now."

Regardless of what Belichick does and/or doesn't think of the Giants, it's worth noting that no team other than the Atlanta Falcons scheduled an interview with him after he left the Patriots following the regular season. 

NFL reporter Darryl Slater of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com wrote ahead of this past weekend that "if Daboll is awful in 2024, he’s probably going to get fired regardless of whether Mara thinks he has a legit shot at Belichick." Thus, Belichick may not want to burn any bridges with the Giants over the next 12 months or so.