Bill Belichick has a unique problem at North Carolina that he didn’t struggle with for most of his time with the Patriots. He has to decide which quarterback he trusts enough to run his offense when the games actually matter. So far, nobody has grabbed the job and refused to let go. So, his search for a Tom Brady-esque QB remains open, as he talked about his requirements for his QB1.

“I’ve said that about Tom Brady. The greatest quarterback in NFL history,” Belichick said on his August 14 fall camp presser. “As great as Tom was, and he was great. He made a lot of great plays, but the most important thing he did was he eliminated the bad ones. So, there’s nothing more important than the decisions that the quarterback makes to make good plays or, in some cases, spectacular and right plays.”

“But most importantly, on a down-after-down basis, to eliminate the bad ones. Not just at his position, but overall offensively. [If] I made a bad call, or I put him (Tom Brady) in a situation where this protection wasn’t very good against the blitz they were showing. And he found a way to either get rid of the ball or change the protection.”

UNC has three QBs competing for the starting role this fall: Billy Edwards Jr., Miles O’Neill, and Au’Tori Newkirk. Edwards brings the most experience, while O’Neill arrives from Texas A&M with plenty of potential but very little college playing time. Redshirt freshman Newkirk is the younger option trying to push his way into the conversation. Interestingly, the battle is still ongoing, and no one has emerged as a leader as Belichick outlined.

“I don’t think there’s a leader in the clubhouse, but it’s been very competitive,” Belichick said of the QB battle.

Belichick does not need someone who tries to go for the kill every snap. He wants someone who knows when the big play is there, when it isn’t, and when throwing the ball away is the smartest decision. That sounds simple until a QB is standing in the pocket with 70,000 people screaming and a defender closing in. Brady, though, was a master at that.

In the 2014 AFC Divisional Game vs. the Baltimore Ravens, Brady did just that against a dominant front seven featuring Terrell Suggs and Haloti Ngata. Initially, the Patriots wanted a balanced ground game, but the Ravens’ front line limited the team to just 14 rushing yards. However, that’s when Brady showed his brilliance. He used his fast throws to render the D-line ineffective.

And that wasn’t an exception. With Brady, it was the norm, especially in the playoffs. Belichick could have used those skills during his first year at the Tar Heels. Among the many issues that plagued the 2025 campaign, QB play stands out, especially given the lack of production from the starters.

Gio Lopez started most games, and Max Johnson filled in when the former was injured. However, the offense never looked like a well-oiled unit, something that Coach Belichick can’t afford next season.