NFL analyst Chris Simms has claimed that Bill Belichick’s buyout clause indicates that he may not be at UNC for long – as he admitted he was “not shocked” that the legendary coach did not land a job back in the NFL.
The six-time Super Bowl victor stunned the sporting world as he embarked on his first role in college football following his departure from the New England Patriots. The 72-year-old has succeeded Mack Brown in the University of North Carolina head coach post, signing a five-year contract which includes a salary of $10 million a year.
The veteran figure’s agreement with the program also features a buyout clause of $10 million, which is set to drop to just $1 million on June 1, 2025. Now, analyst Simms has contended that this aspect of the deal in question indicates that Belichick may eventually return to the NFL after all.
With the legendary ex-Patriots mainstay previously interviewed for a vacancy with the Atlanta Falcons, the pundit is convinced that the icon will not see out his contract with the Tar Heels. Speaking on “God Bless Football”, Simms said: “Do I believe hes going to stay there long? Absolutely not.
“I mean, the buyout tells you everything. Starting this June, he can be bought out for couch cushion change for NFL owners. I mean, come on, a million dollars? Belichick has got a million dollars in cash he can put in his pocket and pay that off. Thats nothing; hes worth hundreds of millions.”
“Thats nothing. That alone tells me he doesnt want to stay there long-term,” he continued, as he gave his verdict on Belichick’s decision to take the job. “He was shocked I know and so were people around him that there wasnt more of a calling for him to be the head coach.
“So, yeah, am I shocked hes going to college? Definitely. Did I think thered be a team out there that would latch onto Belichick? I did think that. But Im not shocked that the NFL rejected Belichick.”
Simms also explained why he felt Belichick was unable to land a role back in the NFL despite boasting one of the most enviable coaching CVs in the game. He said: “His age, his control, his demeanor, everything that comes along with him; yeah, theres going to be some organizations that are going to be like, We dont want to deal with that.
“We dont know how much longer hes going to coach. And were not just going to give him free rein to take over everything if hes only going to be here for 2 or 3 years.'”
He added: “Belichick has treated most of the NFL like s— for the last 20 years and I dont mean it [as] disrespectful, its just that the Patriots are so uptight, quiet-lipped. They dont talk to anybody. He doesnt let coaches talk to other coaches on the field pregame. Certainly, a lot of coaches think theres a lot of arrogance that came out of New England over the last 20 years.”
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