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By James Brizuela
Contributing Writer
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Legendary NFL head coach Bill Belichick shocked the football world by landing the head coaching position with the UNC Tar Heels. While Belichick would have been a sought-after candidate for the NFL, he chose to accept a job at the collegiate level.
More news: Bill Belichick Slams Rumors of Returning to NFL After Taking UNC Job
In fact, one of the NFL positions that already made sense was with the New York Jets. The team fired Robert Saleh early on, replacing him with Jeff Ulbrich. Ulbrich has not done well with the team, leading everyone to believe that Jets owner Woody Johnson would seek a bigger hire.
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That hire could have Belichick, who had reportedly reached out to land a meeting with Johnson for the job. Belichick contacted former Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum, who was setting the meeting with Johnson. However, that didn't happen in time.
According to Albert Breer, "More on what DMRussini reported—Bill Belichick reached out to Mike Tannenbaum to express interest in the Jets job. Jets mulled it, worked to set up Belichick and Woody Johnson to talk. Then, things at UNC accelerated. Timing simply didn't work out to explore it further."
Belichick spent most of his NFL career in the AFC East, as he secured multiple Super Bowl victories with the New England Patriots. It would have been bittersweet for Patriots fans to see him join the Jets, but it would have made a ton of sense as well.
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Belichick is the kind of coach who could have turned around the all-star roster that the Jets have, but that will not be the case. Instead, he will seek to turn around the UNC program.
Read more: Bill Belichick's Buyout Price at North Carolina Makes NFL Return Very Possible
UNC awarded Belichick a five-year deal, which pays $10 million annually and includes up to $3.5 million in incentives. He also has a $10 million buyout amount, which could mean that his return to the NFL could also happen in the future.
Belichick is 72 years old though, and he will presumably spend the next three seasons with the Tar Heels. That said, Belichick also revealed that joining the collegiate level does not mean he is leaving the NFL behind.
It would make sense for Belichick to serve out his three-year deal, and then potentially make one final return to the NFL before he retires. This is just speculation, but there are likely many NFL teams that were set to interview the legendary coach.
For now, the Jets missed out on arguably one of the biggest hires they could have had.
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