How Bill Belichick Evaluating Current UNC Quarterback Situation

When asked whether Edwards Jr. is the starting quarterback moving forward, the 74-year-old head coach responded, "I do."

• "We don't want to get into a musical chairs game there," Belichick said. "That's not the idea. The idea is to improve our overall consistency and performance. I feel like we've done that, and there's still obviously plenty of work to do. So, we'll see how that progresses along. But it's different than training camp because now every week is a game preparation week. In training camp, we're going against our offense and our defense."

Is This the Correct Approach?

While Edwards Jr. is a couple more poor performances away from being in legitimate danger of losing his job, making a quarterback change comes with significant risk. Benching Edwards Jr. for O'Neill could eventually be something the coaching staff feels forced to execute; if that happens, it's virtually impossible to go back to the six-year veteran.

That's why Belichick's reluctance to play "musical chairs" at quarterback is a fair approach. North Carolina must be 100 percent sure before pulling the plug and shifting to O'Neill.

Why Belichick's Comments Aren't End-All, Be-All

Yes, Belichick's answers to these questions are fair, but he could be singing a much different tune in two weeks. It's easy to stick with Edwards Jr. as the Tar Heels are currently 2-1, but if the losses start piling up, Belichick and his staff will probably be thinking much differently.

Losing to Notre Dame is a likely outcome, but falling to the Pittsburgh Panthers in Week 6 could be the final nail in the coffin for Edwards Jr.'s time as the starting quarterback. Nevertheless, North Carolina's quarterback situation will be the main topic of discussion until the production and effectiveness improve. The speculation around the quarterback position won't be hushed after this weekend, as the Tar Heels are heavy underdogs.