Bill Belichick’s Surprising Buyout Clause Has Fans Buzzing as NFL Return Could Be Easier Than Expected

Bill Belichick continues to make college football headlines. The former NFL legendary coach is making a drastic transition to college football after almost 50 years of coaching in the NFL. After weeks of contact, he signed a $50 million contract with North Carolina on Thursday spanning for five years. All was quite okay until his buyout clause was revealed. And it’s not a typical CFB HC buyout! So fans have lots to say about the new Tar Heels HC’s buyout contract. 

Brad Crawford reported Bill Belichick’s buyout clause at UNC on X on December 13. According to the contract, his “buyout at UNC drops from $10M to $1M after June 1, 2025.” The CFB analyst also added, “He could leave for an NFL job at minimal cost before he even coaches his first game with the Tar Heels.” One fan forecasted Belichick’s future saying, “I’m going with 50% chance he never coaches a game at UNC.”

As per Bill Belichick’s buyout clause, he’ll owe UNC $10 million if he decides to leave them before June 1, 2025. But after that timeframe, it’ll only cost him $1 million to walk away from the NFL. This could be a win-win for both parties because it’s a risk-minimizing strategy. We got to remember that Belichick has never coached college football and there have been doubts and concerns regarding his transition. So, UNC can get a chance to test their chemistry with the NFL prodigy in the months ahead of next June. 

Similarly, Bill Belichick can also see if CFB is for him or if the NFL is his cup of tea after all. If things don’t work out, both can walk away with bare minimum expenses instead of dealing with the HC buyout heartbreaks that several CFB teams are facing. But as of now, he’s voiced his desire to be a long-term coach and has “no intention to leave” UNC. Still, fans are speculating that Belichick just waved a final goodbye to the NFL.

Fans roast Bill Belichick’s NFL future

Bill Belichick has been one of the NFL’s greatest head coaches, with six Super Bowl championships under his belt. But as one user commented, “I think his time in the NFL is over. He’s just too old.” Yes, he’s 72, and there have been concerns regarding this. But who knows?

Still, the next person worded several people’s opinions. They wrote, “No NFL team is waiting to hire a coach after June 1.” That’s the reality because by June, the NFL coaching cycle will have already ended.

Another person displayed more audacity in Bill Belichick’s situation. They remarked, “He’s not getting an NFL job. Nobody wants him. That’s why he’s gone to college.” Maybe this isn’t a gentle reminder, but the former New England Patriots HC sat out the 2024 season because he didn’t get a HC job in the NFL. 

This fueled another similar response from a speculative fan. They stated, “If NFL teams wanted him he’d have taken a job already. Unless he really did turn them down prior to now.” Despite having an HC vacancy, there had been no reports about Bill Belichick in contact with the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and New York Jets. 

Maybe that speaks for itself. Maybe Bill Belichick and the NFL are done. And maybe it’s college football for life now!