Bill Belichick Reveals the Best Part of Not Having to Coach in the NFL

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has always kept fans guessing with his daring roster changes. Throughout his 24 seasons in Foxborough and six NFL championships, he earned a reputation for his ruthlessness, even making surprising cuts like that of Ty Law, Lawyer Milloy, and Corey Dillon. However, it turns out that for the former head coach, this didn’t bring him any pleasure.

During his appearance on the Pat McAfee Show this Monday, Belichick reflected and admitted that “the worst part” of his coaching job was releasing players from the team.

Sharing an anecdote from his coaching days at the Baltimore Colts, Belichick also recalled being responsible for informing players about their release, which hilariously earned him the moniker “Bad News Billy.”

He laughed and recollected, “Nobody wanted to see me because if I was coming to get them, it was bad news.”

Belichick then opened up about how heartbreaking it was to witness players arriving at training camp with high hopes, pouring their all into earning a spot on the team.

With only 53 spots available and 90 players vying for a place, many hopefuls had to put their dreams on hold, with some even bidding farewell to the league for good. This made the process even more difficult; however, at the end of the day, it was simply a part of the job.

The good news, though, is that Belichick gets to sit out this year without being called “Bad News Billy.”

That said, after clips from Belichick’s interview circulated on Instagram, reactions from fans were mixed. For instance, one fan was pleased to see veteran coaches like Belichick and Nick Saban getting candid during their year off from coaching, while another felt that Belichick’s stern demeanor in the past was fitting, as it aligned with his coach persona.

A third fan was pleasantly surprised by Belichick’s softer side, especially when joking around with Pat McAfee. However, a different fan couldn’t overlook the dark episodes in Belichick’s career and urged McAfee to bring up the case of Aaron Hernandez, the late former Patriots star arrested for murder in 2013.

To add context, 11 years ago, the team faced a decision on whether to release Hernandez immediately or wait until after his trial. While Belichick preferred to wait since Hernandez had not yet been proven guilty, team owners Jonathan and Robert Kraft decided to cut ties just two hours after his arrest.

With that being said, as the 2024 season inches closer, teams across the league must confront similar decisions. Before Tuesday’s 4 p.m. ET deadline, each team must trim its roster down to 53 players. For some, this will be a day of heartbreak, while for others, it will open the door to making a name in the NFL.