Bills eliminate potential Hall of Fame candidate from head coaching search

The Bills are not interested in one of their former bitter rivals, per an NFL outlet.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick looks on during the second half at Gillette Stadium. | Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

While the Buffalo Bills have already claimed that their search for a new head coach is wide open, they have apparently ruled out one potential Hall of Fame candidate from taking over as the team’s new leader.

Former New England Patriots Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Belichick has been eliminated from contention for the team’s head-coaching job, per a trusted NFL media outlet.

RELATED: Bills eagerly awaiting Davis Webb head coaching interview opportunity, per report

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick meet on the field after the game at Gillette Stadium. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Reports say

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk wrote on Sunday that the future Hall of Fame head coach, who is currently leading the University of North Carolina Tar Heels’ football program, will not be considered by the Bills.

“He’s currently regarded as radioactive by most NFL teams looking for coaches,” Florio’s article read. “And he has only himself to blame, thanks to the bizarre distractions he created in North Carolina over the past year and his open hostility toward his long-time employer in New England.”

Belichick’s first season with UNC was marred by controversy and ended with the team posting a disappointing 4-8 record. During the 2025 campaign, he banned Patriots scouts from the Tar Heels’ facility.

“Any NFL owner who would be inclined to hire Bill Belichick would have to assume that, eventually, some of that same venom will be directed to his next former team,” Florio added. 

MORE: Sean McDermott's head-coaching future hinted by NFL insider

The Bills are casting a wide net in their search for a new head coach. Not wide enough, however, to include a look at their former New England nemesis, Bill Belichick. https://t.co/AjY1fbpaNQ

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 25, 2026

Great track record

Belichick is widely considered one of the best coaches in NFL history, having guided the Patriots to a 266-121 record during 24 seasons as their head coach. His run in New England included six Super Bowl championships, but he suffered from a disappointing ending that eventually soured. He went 29-38 over his final four seasons with the team before the two sides mutually parted ways in January 2024.

While the Bills have reportedly scratched Belichick’s name off their list of potential candidates, they have already hosted several individuals for head-coaching interviews since firing Sean McDermott. That list includes Grant Udinski, Anthony Lynn, Anthony Weaver, Philip Rivers, Lou Anarumo, Brian Daboll and Joe Brady.

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