There are a lot of people in the NFL media apparatus that would really like Bill Belichick to leave North Carolina and take one of the six open positions in the league, and they're doing everything in their power to will it into existence.
The heat is apparently getting to Belichick, because on Thursday two people from his inner circle released statements affirming his commitment to the Tar Heels. Those two people are, of course, his general manager Michael Lombardi and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.
Thursday morning, Lombardi responded directly to a CBS Sports report which tried to invite the possibility that Belichick would use a contractual gray area to walk away from his contract with UNC.
Bill is recruiting in DC today and Baltimore tomorrow. His focus is on North Carolina football, hiring staff members and developing the team. The NFL isnt a option so please stop making it one. Thank you. https://t.co/Z5sRAcYOCB
— Michael Lombardi (@mlombardiuncgm) January 16, 2025
Then, Thursday afternoon, Hudson jumped into the water with a statement of her own.
For those, like me, who had to reeducate themselves on the definition of "overt," here it is:
done or shown openly; plainly or readily apparent, not secret or hidden.
Of course, it would be nice to hear from The Man Himself something along the lines of "I have no interest in the Bears/Cowboys/Jaguars/Raiders/Saints/Jets openings and am fully committed to seeing this thing through at North Carolina," but that would quiet the nose only so much.
There's an "I'll believe it when I see it" element to the Belichick era at North Carolina: this 72-year-old man who hasn't been in college football since he played it a full 50 years ago, a football historian who's within striking distance of the NFL's all-time wins record, all of a sudden now fulfilling his lifelong dream (?) of finally coaching college ball.
And then there's the element fanning the speculation that is entirely Belichick's own doing. He and UNC agreed to a contract that drops his buyout to a paltry $1 million as soon as this summer.
NFL job speculation will be a constant topic for as long as Belichick remains in Chapel Hill. Whether Ms. Hudson's Instagram page remains a source of news on that front is to be determined.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.