UNC football head coach Bill Belichick has seen the latest reports mongering fear over his NFL flight risk status after he took the Tar Heels job less than two months ago.
Specifically, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio published an article in which he claimed that people at UNC and in the conference were getting antsy over Belichick’s slow hiring process to fill out his staff since he was hired on Dec. 11.
“It’s making people nervous, from the athletic director all the way up to (we’re told) the ACC Commissioner,” Florio wrote.
UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi was quick to shoot down Florio’s “erroneous” report, and Belichick did the same on his regular appearance on the Pat McAfee Show this week.
“We’re all set, we’re full speed ahead,” Belichick said in response to McAfee’s question about the UNC coach’s timeline this offseason. “Pro Football Talk’s not a good source for me.”
"Pro Football Talk isn't a good source for me 😂
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 29, 2025
We'll be on the field in just over a month and we're already in the middle of our offseason program"@Belichick_B #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/oluoNH7Zuz
A simple but savage clap-back.
Florio caught wind of Belichick’s comments and sent a cheeky message back:
https://t.co/ZwIoX9uibL pic.twitter.com/a6JSP748IE
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 29, 2025
Barring a dramatic turn of events, Belichick appears set to enter his first year as UNC’s head coach having recently finalized contract terms with the school.
It’s worth noting that his buyout clause still applies: If Belichick leaves the Tar Heels prior to June 1, 2025, he would owe the school $10 million, but if he leaves on or after that date, he would only owe $1 million.
Belichick has fended off the NFL flight risk rumors—for now. Just for good measure, the New England Patriots legend gave McAfee a brief rundown of his plans for the next several months.
“We have February to kind of work on our season program, then we start spring ball in March through mid-April, so football season—we’ll be on the field in a little over a month, so that’ll be exciting,” continued Belichick. “And we’re already in the middle of the offseason program now… We’re still recruiting, you know mostly 26 players, but there’s still a few moving parts in the incoming class as well.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Bill Belichick Clapped Back at PFT’s Mike Florio, Reports Over His NFL Flight Risk.
