Due to his age, his new gig at the college level, and the sour way in which his legendary New England Patriots tenure ended, many assumed that there was no way legendary head coach Bill Belichick was ever going to be considered for an NFL head coaching vacancy again.
However, despite the fact his Tar Heels tenure has gotten off to a very rocky start, Belichick's name and legacy are strong enough to get teams around the league interested in him. Belichick has some legitimate buzz around him in the 2026 head coaching cycle.
NFL insider Josina Anderson reported that at least two NFL teams are expected to have some interest in hiring Belichick as a coach in the offseason, with a third looking to "enter the mix" if ownership makes a personnel change. Could Patriots fans really see Belichick improbably return to the sideline?
NFL teams interested in former Patriots coach Bill Belichick during 2026 cycle
Belichick has gone just 4-7 in his first season at Chapel Hill. On a staff that features his sons Stephen and Brian as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach, respectively, Belichick's inability to turn the Tar Heels into a good offensive team has led to some rough results.
However, Belichick optimists will point to the fact that getting top recruits to go to UNC was always a challenge that has become amplified in the NIL era. Belichick has steadied things after a slow start, beating Syracuse and Stanford while losing to a ranked Virginia and a very good Duke team by a combined eight total points.
Belichick just may not be suited to the college game, which requires a different skillset than life in the pros that not all coaches have. If he goes to a team that already has an established quarterback, there's a chance that he could have a second wind at the professional level.
Teams will need to consider the whole Jordan Hudson dynamic if they hire Belichick, as his much-younger love interest has hovered over the 2025 North Carolina season. Even in the NFL, that noise is not going to go away if someone gives him the keys to the kingdom.
Even as he enters his mid-70s and is coming off a sour end to his time with the Patriots, Belichick can still walk into any owner's office, slam his six Super Bowl rings down on their desk, and instantly be in consideration for any coaching job he wants.