Bill Belichick hasn’t even been the head coach of North Carolina for a month yet and there’s already speculation he could make his return to the NFL.
According to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, multiple teams with head coaching vacancies have inquired with the eight-time Super Bowl champion to see whether he’d be interested in a return to the league.
Per Pelissero, the Las Vegas Raiders are among the teams to have expressed interest in Belichick. The 72-year-old’s former New England Patriots quarterback, Tom Brady, is a co-owner of the Raiders, who fired Antonio Pierce after the former NFL linebacker led Las Vegas to a 4-13 record in his first full season as the team’s head coach.
While Belichick is less than a month into his new gig in Chapel Hill, luring him back to the NFL seemingly wouldn’t be too difficult from a financial standpoint.
“Belichick’s contract at North Carolina includes a $10 million buyout if he leaves prior to June 1, 2025, though it’s not entirely clear whether it would apply if he returns to the NFL in the coming weeks,” Pelissero writes. “Either way, it’s a fraction of Belichick’s salary by the end of his Patriots tenure, making it relatively easy to get out of, whether an NFL team or Belichick himself pays the buyout.”
While the Raiders appear to be the team most heavily linked to Belichick, the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Chicago Bears and Belichick’s former team, the Patriots, are all in the middle of their own head coaching searches. It’s also possible the Dallas Cowboys’ job could be available in the days ahead, with Mike McCarthy’s contract set to expire on Jan. 14.
For now, Belichick has remained publicly committed to the Tar Heels and even recently started his own X account for recruiting purposes.
Making his first post on Monday, the three-time NFL Coach of the Year took a shot at North Carolina’s chief rival.
“Beat Dook” my first words as a boy are my first words on X!” he wrote. “Go Heels!!
“Beat Dook” my first words as a boy are my first words on X! Go Heels!!#GoHeels #ChapelBill #CarolinaFootball
— Bill Belichick (@Belichick_B) January 6, 2025
[NFL.com]
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.