Since Bill Belichick's departure from the Patriots, he's been a top contender for media roles. As a six-time Super Bowl champion, he's hailed as one of the greatest coaches ever, naturally sparking interest in seeing him on TV. Per a report by The Athletic, Peyton Manning has been heavily pursuing Belichick to sign with his production company Omaha Productions.

Manning and his company are the masterminds of the “Manningcast” alternative broadcast with ESPN and it is expected that the company will attempt to do a similar concept with him and former Alabama coach turned ESPN College Gameday cast member Nick Saban. Per the report, an alternative broadcast featuring Belichick is in the realm of possibility as, although he's met with CBS and NBC, he has made it clear that he has no desire to join a weekly Sunday Studio Show. Ironically, both networks have hesitation as well.

“Networks are also a bit hesitant to offer a spot on a desk because of the strong belief that Belichick, who turns 72 next month, wants to return to the sidelines to pursue Don Shula’s record for all-time wins,” The Athletic's Andrew Marchand wrote in his report. “Belichick is 14 behind Shula’s 347 regular- and postseason head-coaching victories.”

Networks hesitating to offer him a studio analyst position is understandable, given Doc Rivers' shift from ESPN/ABC's top commentary booth to coaching the Milwaukee Bucks mid-NBA season. It's possible Belichick might make a similar move, having been considered for coaching positions by multiple teams at the off-season's onset. Sean Payton followed a similar path by joining Fox as a studio analyst before being hired as the head coach by the Broncos at the end of the 2022 season.

According to Marchand, Belichick is also keen on discussing football aspects that intrigue him. This makes it increasingly harder for him to join a studio show and especially serve as a color commentator as the topics in those roles are largely determined by the news of the week and the happenings on the field.

But, another interesting suitor in the Bill Belichick media sweepstakes is Pat McAfee. McAfee could provide Belichick with the freedom to speak about the topics in football he's passionate about similar to what occurs during Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers's weekly appearances during the NFL season. McAfee made it known publicly in January that he would like the former tenured Patriots coach to join his rotating list of contributors.

“As of right now Bill Belichick isn't gonna be a Head Coach in the NFL next season. If he's gonna go do TV I would like to let everybody know that this progrum will be in the running,” McAfee tweeted on January 26th with a video from his show speaking about the possibility.

Belichick's media future holds endless opportunities, despite mutual reluctance to include him in a studio show. He has a history with NFL Films and NFL Network, including his role in the “NFL 100 All-Time Team” series, showcasing top players in football history. He also received a sports Emmy in 2021 for his work on the series.