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This one requires a little bit of setup to explain, but it will all make sense by the end.
There are already rumblings about some level of mutual interest between Bill Belichick and the Jacksonville Jaguars, if the club decides to move on from Doug Pederson either during or after this season.
Let’s say Pederson ends up being fired and Belichick is hired as the next head coach in Jacksonville. Belichick would almost certainly have a huge role in the defense, just as he did for the New England Patriots, but he would not necessarily be calling plays on that side of the ball.
Even if Belichick wants to be the defensive play-caller, he would still bring in someone who would have the official title of defensive coordinator.
Eberflus would make for a natural addition to his staff. Even though he doesn’t necessarily have a direct connection to Belichick during his career as a coach, there are secondary connections that could help boost his stock.
During his college playing days at Toledo from 1988 to ’91, Eberflus played under head coach Nick Saban in 1990. Belichick and Saban are very close friends who also had friendly rivalry during their coaching careers.
Eberflus also worked on Eric Mangini’s staff with the Cleveland Browns from 2009 to ’10. Mangini and Belichick worked together from 1997 to 2005.
When the Bears and Patriots played a game during the 2022 season, Belichick and Eberflus shared a long discussion on the field afterward and both men were very complimentary toward each other.
There are some things that would have to happen in Jacksonville for this scenario to play out, but it’s not that far-fetched to think Eberflus could end up working for the Jaguars in 2025.
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