Despite being unemployed (at least in the coaching world), Bill Belichick has been responsible for many viral stories this offseason.
Of course, none of which have anything to do with coaching or the upcoming NFL season – but rather his brand-new girlfriend who just so happens to be 48-years younger than him.
Anytime there’s an age-gap that massive, especially when it involves a public figure, people are going to talk…
Interestingly, at last week’s ESPY Awards, two of Bill Belichick’s former quarterbacks, Cam Newton and Mac Jones, reunited on the red carpet.
While some of Belichick’s former players might be hesitant to comment publicly on his new girlfriend, Newton and Jones didn’t shy away.
As the red-carpet host, Newton wasted no time teasing Jones about Belichick’s current romantic interest, 23-year-old former cheerleader Jordon Hudson.
(Half the outlets report that she’s actually 24, but let’s go with 23 for the added effect, shall we??)
“I have to ask this, former coach, his dating choice right now. What are we doing? Do we approve?” Newton asked, sparking immediate laughter between the two.
“I need your opinion first,” Jones responded, still chuckling.
Newton, unable to contain his amusement, said, “I’m like, no, I don’t approve. I am not even going to lie, but just to see him doing what he’s doing is like [shocked look].”
Jones, continuing the light-hearted exchange, added, “Hey bro, good for him, right? It is what it is.”
The 72-year-old Belichick has been dating Hudson for several months and the pair recently celebrated the Fourth of July together.
Newton and Jones shared a brief stint as teammates during the Patriots 2021 training camp, where Newton competed with rookie Jones for the starting quarterback position before being cut at the end of camp.
Jones was traded to the Jaguars this offseason after being benched multiple times by Belichick during the 2023 season.
Reflecting on his time in New England, Jones told Newton, “I’m great. What I learned from you, have fun with this sh*t, bro. Have fun with it. I’m in Jacksonville, back home having fun.”
While many Patriots fans were more than happy to see the Mac Jones era end, it’s hard to argue that he didn’t get a fair shake in New England.
After an impressive rookie season, Jones had to deal with a whole lot of dysfunction and incompetence which undoubtedly helped derail him.
As a matter of fact, former Patriots running back Damien Harris blamed Belichick for sabotaging Jones in New England.
“What happened to Mac Jones in New England, was not because of Mac Jones… (it) was because of the fact you took away an offensive coordinator who coached him to be a Pro-Bowler and almost coached us to winning our division with a rookie quarterback,” Harris told The Athletic
“Then you take Matt Patricia who’s coached defense his entire life. Joe Judge who’s been a special teams coach… and then you just throw them in there and say, ‘Hey, coach this kid up. He’s a first round pick, but as long as you teach him what I say, everything gonna be fine.’
“Sh*t wasn’t fine. Now Mac Jones is in Jacksonville… The breath of Mac Jones in New England – it came and went. It shouldn’t have (gone) the way that it went. The only reason that it did was because Bill Belichick, being stuck in his ways, was very much so ‘as long as I am here, along with Robert Kraft, the top dog at this organization, we will have success.’
“I think that started kinda was this Cam Newton situation… Everybody was like, ‘What the f*ck is this? Why Cam Newton?’ Bill thought that he could make it work. It didn’t really work. Then we drafted Mac. We had a hell of a year. Went on to win seven straight. At that time, we were kinda looking at ourselves like we might have a Super Bowl run here.
“Then the next year after that you replace Josh McDaniels with Matt Patricia and Joe Judge and then look at the year we had that year… Now Mac Jones is all of a sudden gone. I think that everybody can look at what I just said and ultimately just watch it for what it was and kinda say that maybe Bill Belichick did not do right by Mac Jones.”
What are your thoughts on how everything went down with Jones in New England?
Do you agree with Harris – and many others – that Jones go screwed?
Getting back to Belichick, what are YOUR thoughts on him being with a woman 48-years younger than him?
More importantly, where will Belichick be coaching next? … Or do you actually think his coaching career is officially over???