Bill Belichick and his new University of North Carolina football team “aggressively” pursued an opportunity to be featured on Hard Knocks: Offseason.
And for that, NFL owners across the league are reportedly a bit miffed.
“We’re told that some owners aren’t thrilled with the decision to feature Belichick on an NFL-owned platform,” Pro Football Talk (PFT) reports.
The outlet notes that Belichick is viewing the opportunity as a means to draw attention to himself, possibly leading to a return to an NFL coaching position.
“As we hear it, Belichick aggressively pursued the Hard Knocks assignment for his new college program at North Carolina,” they write. “If Belichick is able to ensure that no strategic objectives are compromised, it becomes a valuable infomercial for both Belichick and the Tar Heels.”
Well, isn’t that the case for any team featured on Hard Knocks?
Why Are They Mad At Bill Belichick?
The opportunity to appear on Hard Knocks would never have arisen if the franchise had not had such a difficult time securing a pro football team for the upcoming season.
The pivot to North Carolina comes after NFL Films couldn’t secure a pro team for the offseason edition, following a poorly received stint with the New York Giants in 2024 that deterred other franchises.
So these NFL owners are angry that an opportunity was taken away from… which team, exactly?
The Giants publicly regretted participating in the HBO docuseries, partly because the show portrayed the front office, mainly General Manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll, as disorganized and indecisive.
The five-episode series exposed internal deliberations highlighting dysfunction, such as the failed negotiations with star running back Saquon Barkley, who subsequently signed with the rival Philadelphia Eagles. It was one of the worst front-office moves in league history, as Barkley went on to a record-breaking season and a Super Bowl win with his new team.
As a result, nobody in the league wanted their franchise to be similarly humiliated. Sensing a void, Belichick reportedly jumped at the chance, but PFT surmises it is an example of the former Patriots coach ‘obliterating bridges’ and leading “toward persona non grata territory as far as some NFL owners are concerned.”
Though we’d guess his eight rings say otherwise.
RELATED: Bill Belichick And His North Carolina Tar Heels Will Be On ‘Hard Knocks’
Will This Lead To An NFL Job?
I don’t know, man; it seems kind of like a ‘you snooze, you lose’ situation. If no owner wanted to be in Hard Knocks, how can they possibly be critical of anybody for seizing the opportunity?
Bill Belichick was recently hired as the head football coach at the University of North Carolina. He signed a five-year deal with UNC.
The Hard Knocks series will follow the coach and the Tar Heels as they navigate recruiting and offseason challenges, offering fans a rare glimpse into the coaching icon’s latest chapter.
It remains to be seen if this kind of exposure will pay off as he hopes, resulting in a new head coaching job for the 72-year-old in 2026. Could the owners be so bent about Hard Knocks that they’d reject granting him any offer?
It seems petty. But if you know how league owners are, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise.
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