Sean Payton explored plan to make Bill Belichick Broncos' temporary head coach to reach milestone: report

Bill Belichick whitethorn beryllium the University of North Carolina caput shot coach, but determination was astir a program to get him backmost successful the NFL acknowledgment to a chap caput manager helium has large ties with.

Denver Broncos caput manager Sean Payton and Bill Belichick spell backmost years. Both served connected Bill Parcells' staff, albeit astatine antithetic times, earlier crossing paths arsenic NFL caput coaches.

In a elaborate communicative astir Payton and the Broncos’ playoff appearances past season, which ended with an AFC Championship Game nonaccomplishment to Belichick’s aged New England Patriots, ESPN reported that Payton had the thought of going to Broncos proprietor Greg Penner with a program to prosecute Belichick arsenic the team’s impermanent caput manager until helium reached 15 wins.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

North Carolina Tar Heels caput manager Bill Belichick connected the sidelines successful the archetypal 4th astatine Kenan Stadium connected Sept. 1, 2025. (Bob Donnan/Imagn Images)

That nonstop triumph full would’ve had Belichick walk the large Don Shula for the all-time coaching wins record.

The study indicated that Payton would’ve inactive been connected the unit arsenic the adjunct caput coach, and erstwhile Belichick reached the triumph total, Payton would instrumentality backmost implicit arsenic caput coach.

BILL BELICHICK CONFIRMS FEUD WITH TOM BRADY WAS FICTION, PRAISES HIS QUARTERBACK'S LEADERSHIP FROM DAY ONE

Ultimately, Payton didn’t officially marque the connection to Penner, deciding it would’ve been excessively analyzable and Belichick would’ve besides had to hold connected his end.

There hasn’t been thing similar it successful football, but it brings astir the question again regarding Belichick’s past successful the league, which has been a blistery taxable since helium and the Patriots parted ways.

Belichick’s interaction connected shot is 2nd to none, though it became clouded during the astir caller Pro Football Hall of Fame voting arsenic helium recovered himself astatine the halfway of controversy.

Head manager Sean Payton of the Denver Broncos reacts during the archetypal fractional against the Miami Dolphins astatine Hard Rock Stadium connected September 24, 2023 successful Miami Gardens, Florida. (Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Belichick wasn’t a first-ballot Hall of Famer, with the likes of Tom Brady and others dumbfounded by the information the manager with the second-most wins successful past wasn’t getting his bust already made for the halls successful Canton, Ohio. But immoderate voters considered the contention that swirled astir Belichick during his clip successful Foxborough, which included Spygate, and believed helium wasn’t worthy of the grant yet.

Since helium near the NFL, galore person wondered whether Belichick would ever walk Shula's triumph total. That question remained adjacent aft helium took North Carolina's vacant job, his archetypal arsenic a assemblage caput coach.

And it inactive hovers implicit Belichick’s legacy, particularly aft his steadfast stance that helium volition beryllium seeing his relation with the Tar Heels into his 2nd play contempt murmurs that helium would entertain NFL caput coaching vacancies pursuing the 2025 season.

North Carolina caput manager Bill Belichick greets a enlistee connected the sidelines earlier an NCAA assemblage shot crippled against Stanford, Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, successful Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Chris Seward)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

As of now, Belichick is contented starring the mode successful Chapel Hill, portion Payton aims to get backmost the Broncos backmost to the Super Bowl successful 2026.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports sum connected X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.