New York Giants fans have plenty to be optimistic about. Russell Wilson represents a massive upgrade under center, the team is undoubtedly more talented than it was in 2024, and it’s only a matter of time before first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart gets his chance to shine.
East Rutherford will be locked in for the 17-game stretch, but the nation will watch the Giants do battle during three prime-time games.
Among them is New York’s only Monday Night Football contest, a Week 13 trip to visit the New England Patriots. Naturally, a portion of the fanbase will tune into the “ManningCast” with Peyton and Eli Manning, should they be scheduled to be on the air.
However, the Giants legend’s Monday Night Football broadcast lost a key guest, North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick.
"He obviously seems busy right now coaching college football, so he won't be back this year," Peyton Manning said during an interview with 97.1 The Fan. "So he'll be hard to replace. I thought his insight was great, but we'll probably go back to kind of rotating guests and having coaches and players. Which I always like their insight. But also the actors and musicians that -- you know, the common criteria to be a guest is you got to love football. And Eli and I both love being around people who love football as much as we do. And [from] all different walks of life, right?
"President (Barack) Obama, a Bears fan. Condoleezza Rice, a Broncos fan. Snoop Dogg, a Steelers fan. Three different walks of life and we can all kind of come together and watch a football game together. That's probably the best part about it."
Belichick has … a lot on his plate. Taking over UNC demands time he didn’t have during last season, his first year removed from his position atop the Patriots.
The Mannings aren’t exactly journalists positioned to ask tough questions and demand a straight answer, but Belichick’s brush-up with controversy could very well make him hesitant to accept any media invitation. He’s currently dating Jordon Hudson, 48 years his junior,
Hudson has taken a financial stake in Belichick’s post-NFL career, intervened with media hits, and has become an unnecessary lightning rod for legacy-hurting headlines.
Belichick had been well-received as a guest, but the New York faithful will have to look forward to another famous figure filling his spot in 2025.