Spectacular turnaround for Bill Belichick? The former NFL success coach is actually taking on a position in college football. But now, of all people, his former superstar Tom Brady is fighting for his companion as a coach to return to the NFL.

Is Tom Brady leading his former mentor Bill Belichick back to the NFL?

Actually, Belichick signed a five-year contract as head coach at the University of North Carolina starting in the upcoming college season on December 11, 2024.

But as Tom Pelissero of the “NFL Network” reports, Tom Brady, a shareholder in the Las Vegas Raiders, is said to have recently discussed with his former coach the circumstances under which Belichick could be hired by the Raiders. Las Vegas fired head coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday after missing the playoffs.

According to Pelissero, there is a buyout clause in Belichick’s contract for $10 million if the 72-year-old is bought out of his contract before June 1, 2025. However, it is not definitively clear whether this clause would also apply to an NFL engagement in the coming weeks.

The beginning of a new Brady-Belichick era?

In addition to Brady’s Raiders, at least one other NFL team is said to have asked Belichick about his availability.

As a quarterback-head coach tandem, Tom Brady and Bill Belichick defined an NFL era with the New England Patriots from 2000 to 2019. Together they won six Super Bowls before Brady first announced his retirement from the NFL and then made a spectacular comeback with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Belichick remained head coach of the Patriots until 2023, but was unable to continue the successful times without Brady.