Bill Belichick hasn’t coached in an NFL game in two years, and that makes Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton sad.
“I’ll be honest with you, I miss him being in the league,” Payton said about Belichick on Wednesday. “I miss him not being in the league, and I wouldn’t be surprised, and I would be somewhat hopeful that he ends up back in the league. We’d all be better for it. He’s something.”
Following 24 years as the head coach of the New England Patriots (2000-23), which included six Super Bowl triumphs and three NFL Coach of the Year honors, Belichick ultimately didn’t coach in the NFL in 2024.
Instead, Belichick was named the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels in December 2024. Belichick’s first season in Chapel Hill went awry, though, as the Tar Heels posted a 4-8 overall record and were 2-6 in ACC play, good for 15th in the conference.
As for Payton’s Broncos, Denver is the No. 2 seed in the AFC this season at 10-2 and now a combined 28-18 since he took over in 2023; the New Orleans Saints previously went a combined 152-89 in the regular season with Payton from 2006-21, highlighted by winning Super Bowl XLIV.
Payton and Belichick have coached against each other five times, with Belichick 3-2 in those matchups.
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