Former executive squashes theory about possible Bill Belichick NFL return

It's hardly a secret that Bill Belichick almost certainly wanted to return to NFL sidelines in 2025 since he's just 15 wins away from breaking Don Shula's league record for career victories earned by a head coach (regular season and postseason combined).

While Belichick recently agreed to become head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels, the fact that his contract buyout drops from $10M to $1M after June 1 of next year has many believing he will pursue NFL jobs following the 2025 college season. 

For a Sports Illustrated article published on Friday, former NFL executive and current analyst Andrew Brandt explained why he's convinced Belichick has coached his final game at the highest level regardless of the living legend's true intentions. 

"Here is the reality," Brandt said about Belichick's NFL future. "If teams weren’t interested in hiring him at ages 71 and 72, they are not going to be interested in him at age 73." 

Belichick turns 73 years old in April. 

Outsiders may never know if New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was even a little responsible for Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank choosing Raheem Morris over Belichick last winter. Perhaps Belichick will one day confirm or deny a report that claimed he "didn’t reciprocate" when the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles allegedly "expressed interest" in his services following the 2023 season. For whatever reason, Belichick elected against waiting for the New York Jets out during the upcoming hiring cycle. 

Fair or not, Belichick is perceived to have accepted the North Carolina gig largely because he didn't want to endure the potential embarrassment of being rejected again by coach-needy franchises. 

Earlier this week, Belichick insisted he felt "there would’ve been some interest" from NFL teams had he remained available through the end of the regular season in January. Brandt is among those who aren't buying what the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach tried to sell. 

"I would sense that Belichick and his agent did their due diligence in surveying all potential NFL head coaching openings before moving to UNC," Brandt said. "And his move to Chapel Hill tells you all you need to know about the interest from NFL teams."

That's all well and good as it pertains to December 2024, but one wonders if the situation could change if Belichick impresses next fall while leading North Carolina to what would be considered a successful season for the program.