On Wednesday, NFL Media dropped a bombshell — multiple teams, including the Raiders, had reportedly contacted Bill Belichick about the possibility of him reconsidering a move back to the NFL.
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But in the world of Belichick, who typically stays tight-lipped about matters like this, the report was met with silence. And while some may see that as a cue to start reading between the lines, the real drama unfolded the next day, as UNC General Manager Mike Lombardi came out swinging on Pat McAfee's show.
Lombardi, speaking with all the confidence of a consigliere, went straight for the jugular, calling the report a "complete falsehood." He took particular issue with the narrative that Tom Brady had been in discussions with Belichick regarding the Raiders job.
According to Lombardi, that was simply not the case: "I think what often happens in rumoring — and I know this from doing it in the league — is people try to make a connection: A to B equals C," he said. "Well that's not always the case."
Lombardi then reassured everyone that while Brady might be doing his usual research and calling up people for advice, it wasn't to get Belichick back into the NFL fold. The narrative, he argued, was off-base.
"Bill Belichick committed to North Carolina. He committed it to me. He committed it to the university. There's been no conversation about anything," Lombardi continued, giving a glimpse into their day-to-day routine. "We drive from this office here, this football field behind me, to where we're staying. We commute each day together. And we both talk about how messed up the NFL is and how thankful we're in college football."
While Lombardi's defense of Belichick's loyalty to North Carolina is strong, there are a couple of key issues lurking beneath the surface. First, that pesky buyout clause in Belichick's contract. It's not exactly a secret that Belichick's "commitment" to UNC isn't quite as ironclad as Lombardi would like us to believe.
The $10 million buyout in his deal doesn't just sit there; it drops to a meager $1 million by June 1, 2025, making it far cheaper for Belichick to get back into the NFL if the right opportunity arises. If Belichick were truly all-in on college football, why would he have negotiated such an exit clause? You don't put an escape hatch like that into a contract unless you're leaving the door open for a return to the NFL.
Second, Lombardi's criticism of the NFL as "messed up" could come off as tone-deaf, especially when considering Belichick's own struggles with finding a new job after being fired by the Patriots.
The NFL isn't messed up; maybe it's just that Belichick's brand of genius didn't mesh with the Patriots' direction anymore. If anything, an owner who knew how to harness Belichick's greatness would likely find a much smoother ride in the NFL.
The key takeaway here is that, unless Belichick somehow modifies his contract to remove that escape clause, his path to an NFL return is as clear as day — and a lot cheaper than Lombardi would like to admit. In fact, unless that clause is gone, all of Lombardi's words are nothing more than well-meaning spin.
Because right now, Belichick's exit from North Carolina — should he choose it — could happen as early as June, and for far less than anyone might think.
Lombardi, of course, insists that Belichick is "one thousand percent committed" to North Carolina, reiterating that the story was "a complete falsehood" and adding that Belichick has been hard at work recruiting in South Jersey. But Lombardi's claim that no NFL teams have reached out to Belichick?
That's a stretch. It's possible that no conversations have happened with Belichick directly, but let's not kid ourselves into thinking the NFL has forgotten about the greatest coach of all time.
In the end, as long as that buyout clause remains, Belichick's path back to the NFL is wide open. Even if he swears up and down that he's not leaving North Carolina, there's still a very convenient escape hatch for him to make the jump back to the big leagues. It's clear: Don't believe everything Lombardi says — the contract speaks louder than words.
