Bill Belichick’s UNC buyout is a perfect escape hatch to the NFL

Bill Belichick said he “didn’t come here to leave” while being introduced at North Carolina, but his contract sure gives him the ability do so.

A few hours after the legendary New England Patriots coach was introduced as the next head coach of the Tar Heels, details of his contract began to leak out, and there is one which could be very interesting to NFL owners.

Via The Athletic’s Chris Vannini, Belichick’s contract has a $10 million buyout until June 1, 2025, when it reduces to $1 million, a number basically any NFL team would be willing to pay if it wants to hire him. That milestone date is approximately three months before Belichick is scheduled to make his debut at Kenan Memorial Stadium in Chapel Hill.

June 1 is well after the NFL coaching cycle typically ends, so UNC probably doesn’t have to worry too much about losing its enormous hire before he has even made his debut unless a team loses its coach to unforeseen circumstances sometime during the summer. Still, the minuscule buyout is more of a sign he isn’t ruling out a return to the NFL than anything he said at Thursday’s news conference.

The bigger question, of course, is if any NFL team is going to want him. The answer was “no” last cycle, though that question was really only posed to the Atlanta Falcons, the only team that interviewed him this past offseason.

Belichick has an NFL résumé better than any coach in existence, but he will also enter the 2025 season at 73 years old, four years removed from his last winning season and seven years removed from his last Super Bowl title. Also, Tom Brady isn’t walking through that door with him.

As for the rest of Belichick’s contract, it is technically a five-year deal paying the coach $10 million annually, but the fourth and fifth years are not guaranteed. It also contains $3.5 million in annual bonuses for reaching certain win totals and College Football Playoff finishes.

UNC will reportedly pay $13 million to players via revenue sharing, with a $10 million salary pool for assistant coaches. If Belichick jumps to the NFL, it won’t be due to a lack of investment by the Tar Heels relevant to their peers.