Bill Belichick is potentially the greatest NFL coach of all time. An eight-time Super Bowl champion (six as head coach), Belichick is most fondly remembered as the no-nonsense, gray hoodie-wearing coach of the New England Patriots dynasty from 2000 to 2023. But lately, Belichick has been in the headlines for a different reason: his girlfriend.

Belichick, who turned 72 years old in April, is reported to be dating 24-year-old Jordon Hudson, which has caught the attention of the internet, including a pair of his former players. Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski each spent at least nearly a decade playing for Belichick on the Patriots, and the duo, neither of which is known to take themselves too seriously, took the time to razz their former head coach while on Edelman's ‘Games with Names' podcast.

“Did you see Coach Belichick's date?” Edelman asked just as a grin seemed to about to form on his face.

“Yes. Yes. I sure, I sure did,” Gronkowski said. “He's dating a 24-year-old, a good-looking 24-year-old. He always told us, there's three things out there that [you] don't get caught up in. What were the three things? What was the trifecta, Julian? Can you please explain the trifecta?”

“Mr. Gronk,” Edelman began, “would it be alcohol [number] one?”

“Alcohol was one, and Coach Belichick did not partake in alcohol, I can tell you that,” Gronkowski replied.

Edelman then continued to list the ‘trifecta' items.

“Two, is it a–holes?” Edelman asked.

“A–holes is number two, and I would say Coach Belichick did partake in being an a–hole at sometimes,” Gronkowski said with a laugh. “But not anymore, I love him now. He's my favorite. Not anymore, though.”

And finally, number three of the ‘trifecta.'

“Number three, is that girls?” Edelman correctly asked.

“Yeah, girls,” Gronkowski confirmed. “Now he's all caught up with the girls! We love you, coach, we love you.”

Gronkowski and Edelman did offer Belichick a potential loophole out of avoiding the trifecta since he's no longer coaching.

Bill Belichick shifting to media during coaching hiatus

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick

Since parting ways with the Patriots after nearly a quarter of a century, Bill Belichick has become a member of the media. While Belichick was certainly never known for being a media darling, he has quickly and completely jumped into his new albeit potentially temporary job.

Although Belichick has made it clear he would like to return to coaching eventually, he has agreed to appear on every edition of Peyton and Eli Manning's ‘Manningcast' during the 2024 NFL season. Additionally, Belichick said he will be on ESPN's ‘The Pat McAfee Show' every Monday during the NFL season.

Ultimately, Belichick is a coach at heart. After graduating from Wesleyan University, Belichick became a special assistant for Baltimore Colts head coach Ted Marchibroda in 1975. Over the next 50 years, Belichick would become one of the greatest football minds ever, first as the defensive mastermind behind the New York Giants and then as the head coach and head decisionmaker of the New England Patriots.

If he returns to coaching, Belichick would have a chance to becoming the all-time winningest coach in NFL history; he needs just 15 more wins to pass Don Shula for the record.