It’s been barely a month since Bill Belichick shocked the football world by packing his bags for Chapel Hill to lead the North Carolina Tar Heels. Eight Super Bowl rings, a legendary resume, and now—he’s out here coaching college kids? But in typical Belichick fashion, the silence doesn’t last long. Rumors are swirling faster than a Mahomes sidearm pass: Is Belichick already eyeing a return to the NFL? North Carolina’s GM Mike Lombardi tried to slam the brakes with 10 toes with “Complete falsehood,” but insiders like Tom Pelissero aren’t buying it. And the latest drama? Let’s just say it involves a $10 million check buyout clause and a call from a certain GOAT QB.

On January 11, NFL insider Tom Pelissero joined The Rich Eisen Show to weigh in on the ‘Belichick back to the NFL’ saga. Rich Eisen didn’t hold back, firing off the big question: “Is there a possibility that somebody coughs up 10 million bucks and buys out Bill, and he’s a head coach in the NFL by the end of this month?” The stakes? Belichick’s $10 million buyout clause.

That’s serious coin, but hey, NFL owners aren’t exactly penny-pinchers. The Cowboys, and Jaguars might need a coach, and they got hella rich owners who wouldn’t mind paying $10 million. Mike Davis doesn’t look back while breaking the bank. The Raiders need a new HC after they fired Anthony Pierce and GM Tom Telesco. So who is better than Bill Belichick?

Pelissero’s take? “Here’s where I would start with this, Rich. I would say, you know, Mike Lombardi is a very entertaining guy. He did a publicity tour yesterday in which I believe he called my report a 100% falsehood, and then followed it up by confirming virtually every detail in that report,” Pelissero said. And he went on, “There have been calls, and in fact, other outlets have also since confirmed that Tom Brady and Bill Belichick did speak about the job. So, that’s real.” Real enough to get tongues wagging.

With 6 head coaching vacancies currently open and potentially more on the way, the NFL’s got a serious coaching crisis. Teams like the Raiders, Saints, Bears, and maybe even the Steelers (after that wildcard bullying by the Ravens) are scrambling for solutions.

Pelissero didn’t mince words about the league’s desperation: “Once you get past those two or three guys, who are you hiring? Are you taking a swing at one of the younger guys—the Liam Cohens of the world? Or do you call a guy who’s got eight Super Bowl rings and is currently, you know, driving around and wearing a black suit, taking photos with a bunch of 16-year-olds at high schools around North Carolina?” Savage, but fair.

Seeing Belichick in that role? Yeah, it’s still weird. But titles? Probably on their way. Look, there’s no doubt; Bill Belichick is a finna cook in CFB.

Will Bill Belichick return to the NFL?

Here’s the kicker: despite Lombardi’s assurances, the door’s far from shut. Pelissero added, “We are still early in the search process, and if anything were to happen, if Bill were to listen—and by the way, again, he took Tom Brady’s call; he has listened—then that might still be a couple of weeks away here.” Brady calling up Belichick? That’s like Jordan texting Phil Jackson for one last dance.

NFL teams would be crazy not to at least try. The word on the street is that some teams have rang Bill Belichick’s flip phone celly. Will Belichick return? That’s likely convo for another day. Is it totally outta the picture? Probably not. Make no mistake, there’s no official offer on the table for Bill Belichick right now. Well, lotta things are happening under the table.

For now, Belichick remains the face of the Tar Heels. But Lombardi’s insistence on loyalty doesn’t guarantee anything. If an NFL owner pulls out the checkbook and dangles the right opportunity, all bets are off. North Carolina fans better savor the moment while they’ve got it. Could the NFL pull off another Belichick Redemption Arc?

The odds might be slim; Bill Belichick bought his son, Steve Belichick, from Washington for a defensive coordinator gig at Chapel Hill, but in football—and with Bill Belichick—anything’s possible. As Pelissero wrapped up, “We’ll see how committed he truly is.” 

So, what’s the verdict? For now, Belichick stays in Chapel Hill and builds NFL-esque type of system that breeds 1-round or early 2nd-round draft picks. But the NFL GMs and coaches ain’t gonna give up on The Hoody like that. Whether it’s the Raiders, Steelers, or another franchise making a blockbuster move, one thing’s for sure: this story isn’t over.