Bill Belichick’s Buyout At North Carolina Raises Suspicion About NFL Future

Belichick was expected to gain interest from the NFL franchise for open head coaching roles this year. He took 2024 off after parting ways with the New England Patriots, which he led to six Super Bowl wins in 24 seasons. 

Doubling Brown's yearly salary during his second run at UNC, Belichick is set to make  $10 million annually on a five-year deal. However, only three years are guaranteed, and Belichick's buyout drops from $10 million to $1 million after June 1, 2025. 

As 247Sports' Brad Crawford pointed out, Belichick could leave the Tar Heels "before he [even] coaches his first game" with the team.

The buyout clause is an unusual one at best, and football fans could see a potentially swift exit for Belichick if the NFL ranks make the call. 

"Has to be a typo right? Lol why would UNC do that???" one asked. 

"(Belichick) has a pretty good agent," another quipped. 

The buyout clause seemingly favors UNC if Belichick heads back to the NFL after the summer. While it's unlikely that an NFL franchise would hire a head coach in June, Belichick's buyout would still be affordable ($1 million) if he were to take a job at any point after that date. 

Even still, some fans recall Belichick's exit from the New York Jets in 2000. Moments before he was to be formally introduced as head coach, Belichick handed in his resignation and did not coach a single game for the franchise. 

"Jets fans already know what’s going to happen," a fan responded.

"I’m going with 50% chance he never coaches a game at UNC," one wrote. 

While some fans may not know what to make of the intriguing move by the Tar Heels, it appears that Belichick is committed to the role. He was formally introduced on Thursday and has already added a 30-year NFL executive to serve as the general manager.