The saga of Bill Belichick’s post-Patriots life has been nothing short of surreal.
What was intended to be a simple CBS interview promoting his upcoming book has turned into a viral media moment for all the wrong reasons. Much of the attention has centered on Belichick’s relationship with girlfriend and manager/publicist Jordon Hudson — a pairing that left many viewers with a negative impression of both parties.
The fallout has become so intense that some believe Belichick’s public image has taken a significant hit — to the point where some suggest he may need to do more than win games. He may need to cut ties with Hudson entirely if he hopes to repair his brand.
MORE: UNC’s Bill Belichick handed urgent plan to fix public image, including ditching Jordon Hudson
But even that might not be enough. According to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, the past few months may have delivered a critical blow to Belichick’s NFL future.
“There were lots of judgments made and jokes told last week about Bill Belichick, and I do think, in the end, it will have an impact on his ability to return to the NFL,” Breer wrote.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
Nearly every media outlet has weighed in on Belichick’s relationship, with Saturday Night Live even joining the conversation.
Though Belichick signed a five-year, $10 million deal to coach at UNC, his buyout drops from $10 million to $1 million in less than a month. That timeline was widely viewed as the window in which an NFL team could swoop in and lure him back. But after everything that’s unfolded — that possibility feels far less likely, even in 2026.
Winning in Chapel Hill could change some minds, particularly among NFL owners. But Breer notes that when a coach is hired, he becomes the face of the franchise. And right now, Belichick’s face might not be the one anyone wants at the podium.
That uncertainty is beginning to show — even among those who once believed a return to the NFL was inevitable.
“I’ve long thought an owner looking for credibility would take a real swing at landing Belichick in 2026. But I’m not nearly as sure about that anymore,” Breer wrote.
He then pointed out that the biggest concern might not be the headlines themselves, but what they reveal about the version of Belichick teams would be getting now.
“Yes, it’s a free country. Belichick can do what he wants. But we saw four years of what he looked like in the NFL without Tom Brady, and now we’ve seen half a year of what he looks like stripped of the infrastructure he worked so hard to build in Foxborough a quarter century ago. To me, that’s as relevant to his future as, and maybe more so than, whom he’s dating. Essentially, it’s not that he’s with a 24-year-old—it’s what he put her in charge of.”