Peyton Manning reportedly pursuing Bill Belichick for big role

Jan 31, 2018; Bloomington, MN, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during a press conference at the Mall of America in advance of Super Bowl LII against the Philadelphia Eagles. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Bill Belichick remains a free agent after he did not land a new head coach job this offseason, and he is now reportedly being pursued by a fellow NFL legend for a much different gig.

Peyton Manning has been making an effort to get Belichick to join Omaha Productions, according to a report from Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. There are several ideas being floated, with one of them involving Belichick teaming with former Alabama head coach Nick Saban — Belichick’s good friend — for an alternate ESPN broadcast similar to “Manningcast.”

Saban joined ESPN’s “College GameDay” after announcing his retirement, so he is already affiliated with the network. He also makes regular appearances on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show.”

ESPN is independently interested in Belichick. The two sides have not yet had discussions, but Marchand reports that Belichick has met with executives from CBS and NBC. The 71-year-old has made it clear that he does not want to be part of a weekly Sunday studio show, however.

Even if Belichick does not want to make weekly studio appearances or partake in a weekly broadcast like “Manningcast,” it is still possible that he could partner with Manning’s entertainment company for another project.

Belichick won a Sports Emmy for his work as an analyst on NFL Network’s “NFL 100 All-Time Team,” which aired in 2019. That allowed fans to see a much different side of him, as he is known for being stone-faced and openly annoyed with the media.

Belichick likely wants to coach in 2025, but there have been reports that he could temporarily venture into television or one other role. He has always admired great football minds, so it should not be all that difficult for Manning to get his attention.