Sean Payton Drops Surprising Hint on Bill Belichick’s Mysterious NFL Future

Bill Belichick’s name is once again echoing through the hallowed halls of the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a finalist — a spot that feels more like destiny than mere chance. Yet, while the bronze bust seems nearly within grasp, whispers among the coaching ranks tell a different, intriguing tale: the man who’s redefined NFL greatness might just be tempted back to the professional gridiron. Broncos coach Sean Payton didn’t hold back his feelings, expressing a genuine longing for Belichick’s return to the league, noting how much the game feels the void left by his absence. But here’s the kicker — despite a palatable $1 million buyout that’s pocket change for NFL owners, the buzz around actually hiring him remains murky at best. Between his nuanced final seasons in New England…his North Carolina stint in 2025…and some less-than-flattering headlines, the road back to an NFL sideline looks more like a high hurdle than a welcome mat. However, with 31 teams potentially ready to dismiss the idea outright, it only takes one — just one — to ask, “Why not?” The paradox is rich: it might be easier for Belichick to secure a place among football’s eternal legends than to step onto an NFL sideline once more. Curious how that might all play out? LEARN MORE

Bill Belichick is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Another coach who’s laying the foundation for a bronze bust of his own hopes Belichick will return to pro football.

“I’ll be honest with you, I miss him not being in the league,” Broncos coach Sean Payton told reporters 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.”

Belichick’s buyout costs a miniscule, for NFL owners, $1 million. But there’s no clear indication that anyone would want to hire him, given the latter years of his time in New England (which included putting a defensive coach in charge of the offense), the pettiness he and his consigliere, Mike Lombardi, have displayed toward the Patriots specifically and the NFL generally, his 2025 performance at North Carolina, the baggage and distractions he’d bring with him in a return to the pro game, and his reputation for hoping to take over the entire football operation in lieu of simply coaching the team.

Belichick should have a no-debate, no-brainer case for Canton. He should automatically gain entry. He’s one of the greatest coaches in NFL history. Failure to put him in immediately would undermine the credibility of the entire selection process.

That doesn’t mean Belichick currently is a viable candidate to become an NFL head coach.

Still, 31 teams can say “no way.” It only takes one to whisper, “Why not?”

The college game clearly isn’t for Belichick. For plenty of pro teams that haven’t won many games in recent years, they could do a lot worse than Belichick. And they have.

It nevertheless feels like an uphill climb. Which creates an interesting irony. It will be much easier for Belichick to gain a spot among the all-time immortals than it will be for him to get another opportunity to coach one of the NFL’s franchises.