Tom Brady is apparently still looking to Bill Belichick for advice.
On Wednesday, NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported the Las Vegas Raiders were among the teams to reach out to Belichick and gauge his interest in returning to the NFL, as the 72-year-old recently took the head coaching job at North Carolina. However, the Raiders' interest in speaking to Belichick may not have actually been about him coaching the team.
Las Vegas Raiders on SI's Michael France reported Wednesday, citing a source, that the discussions were more of Brady, a Raiders minority owner, seeking to pick Belichick's brain on how to proceed with the search.
"Tom and Bill had a terrific conversation in the last eight days," the source told France. "The further they get from having worked together, I believe both have a greater endearment of the other. Bill has taught Tom so much in his career. And Tom reached out to him seeking wisdom and thoughts on his new role. It is very fair to say the relationship is improving. But I don't believe the discussions in any way were related to Bill becoming the head coach in Las Vegas."
Vinny Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported a similar notion on Wednesday.
The sense I'm getting on @Raiders/Bill Belichick per sources: The talks were more about Tom Brady picking Belichick's brain on search process/traits, etc, rather than trying to bring him to LV as the head coach.
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) January 8, 2025
This would make the most sense.
Belichick took the North Carolina job knowing that NFL teams might be interested in talking to him after the 2024 season. He chose to go to the college game rather than wait for NFL phone calls. It appeared unlikely that he would leave after a few weeks on the job in Chapel Hill.
Brady deciding to reach out to his former head coach to discuss the hiring process and what the Raiders should be looking for is a smart move. The two men won six Super Bowls together with the New England Patriots; they both know how to win in the NFL.
The Raiders fired head coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday after he went 4-13 in 2024. Pierce was hired as the full-time coach after going 5-4 as the interim coach in 2023.
More of the Latest Around the NFL
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Raiders Insider Gives Key Details on Tom Brady's Bill Belichick Approach.
