"Just like they were doing to Nick Saban for 10 years": Bill Belichick's NFL rumors will hurt recruiting ability, suggests Pat McAfee 

Bill Belichick signed a five-year $50 million contract to become the next coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels on Dec. 12. The move sent shockwaves through the college football and NFL landscape. No one expected this move as Belichick has not previously coached at the college level.

Since signing the contract, Belichick has already been busy traveling around the country to recruit players. However, only a month after signing his contract, rumors have already started to pop up about the 6x Super Bowl champion and a return to the NFL.

On Wednesday, an episode of "The Pat McAfee Show" was released. On the episode, McAfee said that whether the rumors are true or not, other college football programs will use this to hurt Belichick's ability to recruit top players (starts at 35:30).

"Will everybody that's recruiting the same players that Bill Belichick is recruiting use this against him? Absolutely. Just like they were doing to Nick Saban for the last 10 years of his head coaching career. Where they were like "He's quitting, he's already the GOAT brother, Nick Saban was great, is great, but he's not gonna be there for you." They're using that already at UNC."

NFL insider Tom Pelissero breaks news that NFL teams are interested in Bill Belichick

NFL insider Tom Pelissero broke the news that several teams have inquired into the availability of Belichick. He wrote on Wednesday:

"Multiple NFL teams have inquired about whether legendary coach Bill Belichick would reconsider his move to college football – including the Raiders, whose new minority owner Tom Brady spoke recently with his old coach, per league sources."

In a follow-up, he discussed the buyout clause in Belichick's contract with UNC.

"Bill Belichick's UNC contract includes a $10 million buyout if he leaves prior to June 1, 2025, though it's not entirely clear whether it would apply if he returns to the NFL in the coming weeks. Six NFL HC jobs are open: Jets, Saints, Bears, patriots, Jaguars and Raiders."

At this point, it is unclear how legitimate any of these rumors are. Additionally, there is a possibility that some teams are interested in Belichick, but it is impossible to know if Belichick returns any of that interest. It is hard to believe that he would accept the UNC job if he had any intention of returning to the NFL shortly.