The door is still open for Bill Belichick to return to the NFL.
The eight-time Super Bowl winner agreed to become the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels late last year, but the rumors of him taking an NFL job hardly slowed.
Belichick has a buyout clause at UNC that would see the school make $10 million should he decide to leave. However, it is yet to go into effect as CBS has learned that the 72-year-old has not signed his contract with the college team.
“But sources tell CBS Sports — and UNC confirmed this week — that there is no fully-executed and signed contract between Belichick and UNC. And industry sources say that could lead to a legal gray area about how much, if any, of a buyout there would be if Belichick left for the pros.”
Belichick is understood to have signed a term sheet proposal bearing the basic terms for the job on December 11. Per industry sources, parties taking some time to sign a contract after signing a term sheet is not uncommon in college.
Bill Belichick Has Already Said He’s Going Nowhere
Bill Belichick is believed to be a target for the Las Vegas Raiders and Dallas Cowboys. However, the new Tar Heels head assured everyone that he would not be returning to the NFL when he sat down for an introductory press conference after agreeing to fill the vacancy.
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“I didn’t come here to leave,” he insisted.
The document Belichick signed is officially known as the Proposal of Contract Terms and Conditions. It starts with a short paragraph outlining what can be enforced legally.
Belichick and UNC’s vice Chancellor for finance and operations, Nate Knuffman, both signed the term sheet. According to a school spokesperson, it’s the only signed document between Belichick and UNC.
The sheet also makes it clear that the agreement is not legally binding.
