Jack Del Rio suggests Patriots coach Bill Belichick should have a trophy named after him

Share

Bill Belichick is the greatest head coach in NFL history.

The New England Patriots coach has won a record six Super Bowl titles, nine conference championships, almost 20 division titles and on Sunday has a chance to win his 300th career game (regular season and playoffs included).

Belichick has set the standard for coaching excellence during an era where the salary cap and other factors have made it very difficult for teams, except the Patriots, to enjoy long periods of consistent success. He is 67 years old and doesn't show any signs of slowing down with his team coming off a sixth Super Bowl win and starting the 2019 campaign 7-0.

When Belichick does decide to retire, should the league name a trophy after him? Former NFL head coach and current ESPN NFL analyst Jack Del Rio suggested it on Tuesday's episode of "NFL Live."

"In my career, most games I go into I feel like I have the advantage, that our team was better prepared than the other team," Del Rio said. "I've come out of games against Bill Belichick getting lessons, and I'm not afraid to admit it. He took advantage of something we were doing schematically and used it against me, and not many other people have ever been able to do that. 

"I give him a lot of credit. I think you have to look at it, someday, you'll probably have a trophy named after him. He's won a lot more titles than (Vince) Lombardi has."

New England Patriots

Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.

UNC hires Belichick to be new head coach

What Belichick's former players are saying about him joining UNC

The name of the Vince Lombardi Trophy shouldn't change, but how does the "Bill Belichick NFL Coach of the Year Award" sound?

Belichick has won AP NFL Coach of the Year just three times (2003, 2007 and 2010) despite his championship success and winning 10-plus games in 17 of his 19 seasons with the Patriots.

Whether Belichick will ever have a trophy named after him is unknown, but we do know his incredible coaching career will be recognized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Patriots Hall of Fame at some point.

Report: Josh Gordon's time with Pats 'likely over'>>>

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.

Contact Us