Tom Brady's relationship with Bill Belichick appears to be stronger than ever.
Despite Belichick's surprising decision to accept the head coaching position at North Carolina, Brady, now a minority owner with the Las Vegas Raiders, recently reached out to the legendary coach about potentially reuniting in Las Vegas, according to NFL Network on Wednesday.
The conversation between Brady and Belichick occurred before the Raiders made the final decision to part ways with first-year head coach Antonio Pierce on Tuesday. Brady reportedly inquired about what it would take for Belichick to take over as head coach of the Raiders.
This comes after reports that multiple NFL teams have reached out to Belichick to gauge his interest in returning to the professional ranks, following his surprising move to North Carolina last month.
Brady, 47, and Belichick, 72, won six Super Bowls together during their 20-year partnership with the New England Patriots. Their relationship soured toward the end of their time together, with Brady leaving for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won another Super Bowl. Belichick, however, has struggled in the post-Brady era, making the playoffs just once in four years before parting ways with the Patriots last season.
Despite tepid interest in Belichick last year, when he only interviewed with the Falcons, speculation about his return to the NFL has persisted. Many believe Belichick is motivated to break Don Shula’s all-time coaching wins record, a milestone he is currently 14 victories shy of.
With uncertain NFL interest, Belichick accepted the UNC job, though it’s believed that he also reached out to the Jets about their vacant head coaching position earlier this season.
Belichick’s contract with North Carolina includes a $10 million buyout if he leaves before June 1, which drops to $1 million after that date.
Meanwhile, the Raiders have already requested interviews with Detroit Lions coordinators Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn as they continue their search for a new head coach.