ESPN Analyst: Bill Belichick Wanted This NFL Job Before Landing at North Carolina
There are currently three head-coach openings in the NFL — the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets — with as many as many as five more that could potentially open at the end of the season.
And while newly hired North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick was expected to be one of the top candidates for an NFL gig in 2025 (he had been linked to possible openings with the Jets, Dallas Cowboys and Jacksonville Jaguars), he took himself out of the running when he agreed to take over the Tar Heels job on Wednesday.
But according to ESPN’s Seth Wickersham, there was one NFL head-coaching job that Belichick had his eye on based on conversations with his inner circle, which included former Patriots assistants Josh McDaniels, Matt Patricia and Michael Lombardi, fit his coaching style best in terms of “trends, salaries and schematic shifts.”
However, Belichick didn’t feel like he’d be a fit with the Chicago Bears, who fired Matt Eberflus the day after losing to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day, for one specific reason.
“According to sources with direct knowledge, the group deemed that the Chicago Bears were probably the most attractive job, but that team brass was unlikely to consider Belichick,” Wickersham wrote. “The group expects the same thing that most around the league do: that the Bears will go offense, hoping to give quarterback Caleb Williams a chance at a career, probably targeting Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.”
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Gillette Stadium.
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Many expected Belichick to land another NFL job next season, especially since it’s believed he desperately wanted to break Don Shula’s record for most head-coaching wins (he’s just 27 away).
But with four weeks left in the NFL regular season, Belichick surprised many and ultimately signed a five-year deal to coach North Carolina and turn the school into what he called a “pipeline to the NFL.”
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