Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick will be at the University of North Carolina this season, but one NFL insider says there is a chance he could leave the college game after one season if a particular job becomes available.
On Wednesday’s “Pro Football Talk Live,” Mike Florio suggested there could be one team that would pique Belichick’s interest in returning to the NFL: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Florio said Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles could be on the hot seat despite winning the NFC South in the past three seasons.
“Last year, Belichick consigliere Michael Lombardi was spreading a false rumor that Bowles may retire after the season,” Florio said. “Bowles quickly shut that down. Which sparked speculation that Belichick was eyeballing the Buccaneers. So why would Lombardi be trying to speak a vacancy into existence? Maybe because that’s one of the jobs Belichick would want. Even with all of the craziness that has happened of late, the Bucs can’t be ruled out as a potential destination for Belichick. Again, they hired Greg Schiano.”
Florio added that Bowles has not done anything to warrant losing his job as Buccaneers coach.
“We’re not saying Bowles shouldn’t keep the job,” Florio said. “We’re just trying to stay ahead of the curve. And the curve could indeed bend in unexpected ways in Tampa.”
Belichick, 73, interviewed for the Atlanta Falcons head coaching job in 2024, but the Falcons went with Raheem Morris, leading to Belichick taking the year off from coaching and making media appearances. Belichick eventually was hired by the University of North Carolina in December 2024. His relationship with his girlfriend, Jordon Hudson, has become tabloid fodder after a “CBS News Sunday Morning” interview where Hudson interjected during a question and said how they met was off-limits.
Their relationship came under scrutiny, with concerns about Hudson’s involvement in Belichick’s personal affairs being raised, leading many people, including former players, to question whether Belichick was the right person to coach North Carolina. Those concerns were downplayed by the school’s chancellor, Lee Roberts.
It also would not cost much for Belichick to leave, with sports journalist Pablo Torre stating Belichick’s buyout from the school dropped from $10 million to $1 million on June 1.
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Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com.