Patriots

Bill Belichick is reportedly ‘disinclined’ toward this part of a potential media job

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions has reportedly expressed an interest in working with Belichick.

By Conor Ryan

March 27, 2024

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If former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick takes a TV gig for the 2024 season, he reportedly has a few conditions in place.

According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, several networks are still in pursuit of the future Hall-of-Fame coach — who will not be on the sidelines this upcoming season after failing to land a head-coaching gig during this latest hiring cycle. 

But if Belichick pivots to TV for a year, don’t expect him to be a regular guest every week.

“While ESPN continues to pursue Bill Belichick, Belichick has told networks he is disinclined to be part of a regular studio show, according to officials briefed on the talks,” Marchand wrote. “ESPN could combine with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions and NFL Films to secure the legendary coach for a broadcasting role.”

Belichick’s reluctance to join a weekly studio show likely means that he won’t be appearing on set with a few of his former Patriots players like Rob Gronkowski, Rodney Harrison, Julian Edelman, and Devin McCourty — all of whom serve as pregame analysts for several TV networks.

Last week, Gronkowski expressed an interest in working with Belichick at Fox — the same network that employs him, Edelman, and Tom Brady, who will take over as their top NFL color analyst on broadcasts in 2024.

“Adding Coach Belichick to the mix? I was hoping that that happens. And it still may happen. He hasn’t signed with anyone. It would just be so cool if Coach Belichick joins us on the pregame show, and then we could have some fun from there,” Gronkowski said. “This is the first rumbling I’m putting out there about it, so hopefully it comes true now.”

A role with Manning’s Omaha Productions could give Belichick the platform to talk football with potentially a less hectic schedule.

Marchand reported earlier this month that Manning’s pitch to Belichick will be the creation of a “Manningcast” style football show with former Alabama football coach Nick Saban in collaboration with ESPN. 

A unique broadcast anchored by two coaching legends in Belichick and Saban could lead to some great back-and-forth banter as games are going on.

And considering that the 71-year-old Belichick may be interested in coaching once again in 2025, penciling him into a standard studio role may not be the best move for any network trying to lure him for just one season.