Fox Analyst Howie Long: New England Patriots' Bill Belichick Destined For TV?

Fox NFL Sunday analyst Howie Long sees Bill Belichick embarking upon a surprising path if the New England Patriots end his lengthy tenure.

If Bill Belichick's time with the New England Patriots is truly over, some have him destined for Los Angeles.

For most Southern California prognosticators, that has him primed to wear the bolted hoodies of the Los Angeles Chargers after Friday's firing of head coach Brandon Staley. But could "Fox NFL Sunday" come calling instead?

One would presume that Belichick's eternally stoic public persona probably wouldn't make for good television, but Pro Football Hall of Famer Howie Long suggested otherwise in an appearance on FanDuel's "Up and Adams" show. Belichick may go great lengths to hide it, but Long believes there's a gridiron comedian buried within his psyche.

"You rarely catch Bill, and Bill’s a funny guy; you just don’t see it,” Long told eponymous host Kay Adams. “If you play (in New England), Bill walks around, and he’s a walking one-liner."

Howie Long (L) has faith in Bill Belichick if he ever decided to join the television realm / USA TODAY SPORTS

Long cited an example of Belichick teasingly comparing tenured Patriots receiver Julian Edelman to former New York Yankees first baseman Wally Pipp, best known for an injury that gave way to future Hall-of-Famer Lou Gerhig and his streak of 2,130 consecutive games played, during some practice struggles.

"He’s got that whistle and spins his finger around, ‘Gee, Julian, what are you doing for God’s sake? You know who Wally Pipp is?’"  Long said. "Bill’s a funny guy. He’s a lot funnier than people think.”

Plenty of Belichick's Patriot proteges have made the transition from the field to the booth. Both Devin and Jason McCourty have appeared on NBC and CBS respectively while Edelman and Rob Gronkowski have made guest showings with Long on "Fox NFL Sunday." Tom Brady is expected to take on one of Fox's high-profile game analyst spots in 2024. 

Long, one of the original members left over from "Fox NFL Sunday"'s 1994 debut, isn't sure if Belichick would fit in on Fox's football set. The former Oakland/Los Angeles Raider also believes that Belichick will want to stick around, be it in New England or otherwise, to break Don Shula's record for most wins as an NFL head coach (16 away entering Week 15 action).

But Long was nonetheless left impressed by the coach's de facto television audition on ESPN's "College GameDay" last weekend: Belichick appeared on the long-running college football pregame show during its visit to Gillette Stadium for the 124th edition of the Army-Navy Game. The son of a Navy alum, Belichick donned a Midshipmen helmet and enthusiastically called for an Annapolis victory during the time-honored celebrity pick-em segment. 

"I saw Bill in a small window on GameDay, and he was very funny,” Long said. “You have to understand that Bill is a historian, not just about football, but with sports in general, and grew up around the Naval Academy. He’s really, really, really big on the military and the history and all that."

"For him to put that helmet and kind of step out of the Bill Belichick mold and into kind of more of someone you can relate to; and I’m sure Bill could do it if he wanted to."

Army Conquers Navy on Patriots' Home Turf

Belichick will appear on Fox's airwaves on Sunday afternoon, albeit after Long and friends sign off: his Patriots (3-10) face the defending Kansas City Chiefs in the early window of Sunday afternoon's action (1 p.m. ET, Fox).