The famously terse Bill Belichick is about to become Mr. Media.
In his move from the sidelines, Belichick, the longtime New England Patriots coach, will make millions with an expected recurring role with the Manning brothers on ESPN's “Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli,” a book deal, and a possible spinoff Inside Football and executives familiar with his plans said it might be a podcast The athlete.
Belichick will begin his post-Patriots career on Thursday with the NFL Draft, when he will join “The Pat McAfee Show” as an analyst. McAfee said publicly in February that he would like to have Belichick on his show once a week during the season, so it also seems possible that his role with McAfee will expand after Thursday. Most of McAfee's three-hour shows are also shown on ESPN.
With Belichick's full plans in focus, the exact amount he will make is unknown, but it will be in the millions, according to those familiar with his current and projected deals. Progress on his book deal is expected to reach the seven figures, according to media executives and publishing sources familiar with his negotiations.
After concluding his nearly quarter-century career in New England with six Super Bowl rings, the 72-year-old Belichick has become a sought-after media figure. He made it clear in meetings with network executives that he did not want a regular weekly desk job on any of the NFL preview shows.
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While the deal with Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions has not yet been fully agreed upon, it is moving in that direction. The ESPN Networks “Manningcast” was shown in 10 of the network's 25 games last season.
Belichick won't be there for every game but will appear very regularly throughout the season, which will be a new wrinkle to the show. In its first three years, guests made one appearance during a season. This will be audible for Omaha, as it will set clips to hear Belichick with Mannings in multiple games.
The Manning-Belichick arrangement is added further curiosity by the long-standing on-field rivalry between the Manning family and Tom Brady, who achieved the bulk of his success under Belichick's tutelage in New England.
The athlete It was first reported in early March that Manning was pursuing Belichick for a role in his company. Last week, ESPN said Belichick is expected to sign a deal with Omaha Productions, but did not specify the role. Omaha Productions operates in part as an arm of ESPN.
Interestingly, Belichick could also be part of an unspecified football offer with Omaha. Belichick discussed starting a podcast using different platforms. In late March, The athlete reported that Belichick was writing a book that ESPN later said would focus on leadership.
Belichick clearly wants to lead again and get back to coaching. His 333 all-time NFL coaching victories put him just 14 behind Don Shula. A year from now, he may be back on the bench. Meanwhile, Belichick is about to become Mr. Media, starting with Thursday's draft with McAfee on ESPN+, YouTube and TikTok.
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