Would Jordon Hudson Affect Bill Belichick's Chances Of Returning To The NFL?
It was mere hours, minutes really, before the New York Giants of their 1980s Super Bowl era were supposed to take the field for a playoff game, and two defensive starters were fighting. Not arguing, but rather throwing fists at each other in plain view of teammates and coaches, including Bill Belichick.
And the question eventually presented to then-head coach Bill Parcells was what to do next? Bench his players for breaking team rules and risk losing a playoff game? Or act as if nothing happened until the situation could be resolved in-house later on?
New York Giants head coach Bill Parcells and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick on the sideline in a 21-0 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the 1984 NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Candlestick Park, in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Arthur Anderson/Getty Images)
Bill Belichick Image Isn't What We Thought
Parcells, the final decision-maker, played his guys.
And Belichick, the taskmaster and disciplinarian who ran the defense, was fully on board with turning a blind eye and, yes, doing what was necessary to win.
Nearly 40 years on and the lasting image of Belichick as this rigid, emotionless man – part football genius, part automaton – is as flawed now as it was back then.
People around the NFL who thought they understood what Belichick was about during his New England years when the Patriots dominated the league, are admitting that maybe they didn't really know Belichick as they thought.
These are people who say they've seen Belichick rollerskating, partying, and doing things seemingly foreign to the Belichick we've seen prowling NFL sidelines for five decades. But this latest Belichick?
"Am I surprised he's got a 20-something girlfriend?" a former assistant told OutKick last week under the assurance his name would not be published. "Frankly, yes.
"Bill loves women, now. Taller, thinner, thicker, brunette, blonde, whatever. He's a red-blooded American male. He chases tail. But, man, he could be that girl's granddady."
Bill Belichick, Jordon Hudson at the 14th Annual NFL Honors held at Saenger Theatre on February 06, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)
The Relationship With Hudson Is Out There
The relationship with Jordon Hudson intrigues now.
It's a thing not just because of the staggering 49-year age difference between the couple. Belichick was 11 years older than previous girlfriend Linda Holliday so he's obviously comfortable with age differences.
It's a thing because Hudson is so public and part of Belichick's persona. And he not only allows it, but engages in it.
"I cannot believe he's been to more beauty pageants as her boyfriend than he's been in winning locker rooms as the head coach at UNC," an NFL observer noted.
Belichick is at a crossroads in the eyes of some NFL people. The man whose private life was previously part of conversations only in whispers – like when he got a divorce from wife Debby Clarke in 2006 and began showing up to league meetings with Holliday – is now a walking soap opera.
Dec 12, 2024; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Jordon Hudson the girlfriend of Bill Belichick in attendance at Loudermilk Center for Excellence. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Relationship The Talk In NFL Circles
That was Belichick sitting next to Hudson's father at the Miss Maine beauty contest over the weekend.
That was Belichick releasing a statement about an interview that went sideways when, in part, Hudson interrupted the direction of questions.
"I wouldn't say I know him well, because all I've ever cared about is beating him," one former NFL coach said. "But I seriously don't know this new guy he's seemingly become. No clue."
That isn't a bad thing if Belichick is happy about the way his life is going with the 24-year-old former cheerleader on his arm. But if Belichick has designs of ever returning to the NFL as a head coach, his current private life might begin to matter. It might affect his professional life.
Why?
"He didn't get hired in the 2024 coaching cycle and whether he was going to get hired in the coaching cycle this year is debatable," one NFL general manager said. "I can't say for sure because we weren't in the head coach market. But if I'm leading a search and Bill shows up to the facility with a girlfriend that looks like his granddaughter, I ask myself if this is the same guy who won all those Super Bowls in New England."
All Good As Long As Hudson Role Defined
OutKick spoke to two current personnel department heads and one club president for this story.
The club president said he would welcome talking to Belichick about a vacancy if he was ever leading a team that needs a head coach. But how Belichick would design the staff and what he'd do with the current team leadership is now "just part of the conversation because I personally would also want to understand the dynamic with her as it would relate to our team."
Hudson is "her."
One of the personnel department heads, meanwhile, said he would have no concerns about Hudson's presence as long as Belichick gave assurances "she's not working for the club in any capacity we don't approve."
But even that suggests Hudson being in Belichick's life would be a topic of discussion in a potential head coach interview.
This is all hypothetical, of course. Belichick isn't going to be the head coach of an NFL team in 2025. But the 2026 head coach carousel is surely coming.
And, if the second-winningest coach in NFL history wants to rejoin the chase for Don Shula's record, he's going to have to answer some questions about Hudson to land a gig.
"Assuming they're still together," the club president said, "which is a real possibility because Bill has had some decades-long relationships in his time. But who knows anymore? I certainly don't know what this new Belichick is going to do."