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Patriots' Bill Belichick Linked to Job With Tom Brady's Former Team

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Douglas Santo | Last updated Jun 6, 2025 4:25 PM ET

Bill Belichick is one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. This week, Pro Football Talk's Michael Florio suggested Belichick could return to the NFL under certain circumstances.

Belichick has been out of the NFL for over a year now after he and the New England Patriots mutually agreed to part ways in January 2024. Exactly 11 months later, the legendary head coach took his talents to the college level and agreed to become the new head coach at the University of North Carolina.

Belichick's original deal with the Tarheels was a three-year deal, paying him $10 million annually with $3.5 million in incentives each year.

However, A lot has changed in the last six months, and not much of it has been centered around football.

Belichick, 73, has been dating 24-year-old Jordan Hudson since 2023, although the relationship did not become public until 2024. Since then, it's been nothing but drama and a frenzy for the media.

Belichick's relationship with Hudson, especially since taking the head coaching job at North Carolina, has received plenty of scrutiny and opinions from the press. At times, it looks like Hudson is controlling what the legendary coach does and says.

The latest news around the relationship came from a sit-down interview with CBS News' Tony Dokoupil ahead of Belichick's new book, "The Art of Winning," which was released on May 6. However, the sit-down included questions much more personal and unrelated to his book than Belichick expected.

At times, Hudson would pitch in or cut off Belichick when speaking, which only raised larger questions between the two.

Both Hudson and Belichick have repeatedly reiterated their connection and commitment to their relationship despite the outside chatter, and Belichick said Hudson was simply trying to keep the interview on track when interrupted.

Belichick said the conversation with CBS was a productive 35 minutes that discussed various parts of his career, but was shortened to eight minutes that didn't accurately reflect the conversation and painted Hudson in a negative light.

However, regardless of Belichick's personal life, there's no question that he is a phenomenal football coach.

During Wednesday's PFT Live, Florio and Chris Simms identified the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a possible NFL return for Belichick. However, this was not to say Todd Bowles' job is in jeopardy.

Florio and Simms pointed out the questionable history of head coaching decisions made by the Buccaneers ever since the Tony Dungy era. From the abrupt firing of Jon Gruden, to the hiring of Greg Schiano, to the surprise firing of Lovie Smith.

In 2024, Michael Lombardi spread a false rumor that Bowles might retire at the end of the season. Bowles denied the report and is still the Buccaneers' coach. But, Florio and Simms seem to think maybe Belichick's consigliere spread the news because Tampa Bay was one of the jobs the coach would want.

Obviously, with Belichick under contract with the Tarheels, a lot will be discovered in the next year based on the outcomes of both North Carolina's season and the Buccaneers' season. But Belichick's buyout with the Tarheels is only $1 million as of last Sunday, so you can't rule it out.

The Buccaneers have built a talented defense that ranked No. 4 in rushing yards allowed in 2024. Baker Mayfield has proven he can perform at the NFL level, and Tampa Bay has some offensive weapons.

If Belichick wants a return to the NFL, the Buccaneers are a possible option in the future.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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