Bill Belichick signed a five-year deal to become the head coach at the University of North Carolina in December 2024. He was an NFL head coach for 29 seasons, five with the Cleveland Browns and 24 with the New England Patriots, but he’s reportedly shut down the rumors of a return to the league.
However, Colin Cowherd doesn’t believe Belichick will not return to the NFL. He thinks the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach is made for pro football and might have a tough time doing things asked of a college head coach, including meeting with boosters, recruiting, dealing with NIL, and having small talks with prominent people close to the university.
Colin Cowherd Believes Bill Belichick Is Made for NFL
In a recent segment on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” the Fox Sports host compared Belichick’s situation with Dwayne Johnson. He said that although Johnson is now doing romcoms, he is ideally suited for action movies, just like Belichick is more suited for the NFL than college football.
“Bill was so great at the NFL, I just can’t buy into, I don’t care what the sources say,” said Cowherd. “I saw the story this morning, Bill’s got no interest in going back to the NFL, yeah, and The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) would have no interest going back to action films if somebody offered him $30 (million) large for one. I’m sorry, that’s who Bill is. That’s his experience, that’s his personality, that’s who he is.”
"You're getting me to buy in that Belichick is going to love this college football thing. I can't do it."
— @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/vQorRAiHFJ
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) January 9, 2025
Cowherd discussed how the Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills could contact Belichick if things go wrong in the upcoming playoffs.
“He was so great at one thing, I don’t buy the other thing, that’s where I stand on it,” added Cowherd. “I still contend [if] Philadelphia or Buffalo get bounced early in the playoffs, and I don’t think they will. I think Philadelphia is going to beat Green Bay, and I think Buffalo is going to win at home against Denver. I do, but if they got bounced, you are having absolute phone calls to Belichick. My belief is he would pick up the phone for both.”
Per Belichick’s contract with North Carolina, he has a $10 million buyout option, which can be triggered before June 1. After that date, his buyout amount decreases to just $1 million, so the legendary head coach will always be on the cards for a return to the NFL.
Should the Bills and Eagles Keep Tabs on Belichick?
The Bills and Eagles have been Super Bowl contenders for multiple seasons but have fallen short. They have good quarterbacks in Josh Allen and Jalen Hurts, both of whom can lead their teams to a Super Bowl.
However, if they again fall short in their quest to win a Super Bowl, how long will the team’s owners continue with Sirianni and Sean McDermott? The Bills head coach is now into his eighth season for the franchise, and a change of voice might be required for the team to reach the next level.
As for the Eagles, their head coach is always in the news for one thing or another, so they might look to bring in a replacement to calm the situation in the future.
Whether or not the former Patriots head coach returns to the NFL remains to be seen, but whichever Super Bowl contender gets knocked out early in the playoffs will get linked to Belichick.