The Bill Belichick season has officially kicked off on our screens.

The legendary head coach, likely headed for the Hall of Fame, made his first appearance on “Manningcast,” which is ESPN’s alternative broadcast of “Monday Night Football” featuring Peyton and Eli Manning, during the game between the New York Jets and the San Francisco 49ers.

As expected, Belichick displayed his classic calm demeanor typical of the media, being both informative and entertaining since pivoting to this media role after being let go by the New England Patriots in January following an impressive 24 years and six Super Bowl wins. His performance on “Manningcast” was consistent with this trend.

There was evident chemistry between him and the Manning brothers, making him a fitting addition to their dynamic. His defensive insights complemented their quarterbacking expertise effectively.

It would be naive to think Belichick and the Mannings hadn’t prepared and spoken ahead of the show. Nevertheless, any pre-show planning didn’t make their dialogue feel contrived, maintaining the natural vibe that “Manningcast” is known for.

Belichick is set to appear on all 11 episodes of the 2024 Manningcast. This is part of his extensive media commitments, where he also contributes to “Inside the NFL” weekly and is featured on Pat McAfee’s show on Mondays. Furthermore, there’s a show with Peyton called “The Breakdown with Peyton and Belichick,” which is streamed on Fridays and previews the upcoming “Monday Night Football” matchups.

Below are some highlights from Belichick’s debut on “Manningcast”:

Eli and Belichick Establishing a Friendly Agreement

Almost immediately after joining the show a bit over two minutes into the game, Belichick was welcomed warmly. Peyton showcased his hosting skills with a smooth introduction, while Belichick quickly connected with Eli, who has had success against Belichick’s Patriots in two Super Bowl victories.

“Eli, can we call a truce?” Belichick proposed.

Eli humorously replied that he would keep his jokes aimed solely at Peyton, though he didn’t stick to it.

When Belichick commented that the post-Super Bowl celebration for losing teams is quite miserable, Eli quipped, “I wouldn’t know, coach.”

Exploring Belichick’s Strategic Mind

As the Jets advanced for their first touchdown, Belichick remarked on the connection between quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Garrett Wilson, with his “Wilson” assertion sounding almost jubilant as he referred to past strategies.

Although Eli invited Belichick to predict the next score, the coach cautiously mentioned that either Breece Hall or Wilson was likely to score for the Jets (Hall ultimately scored to put the Jets up 6-3).

Belichick quickly deduced that Wilson was uncertain about his route after Rodgers adjusted a play on third down. He later suggested that Wilson should discuss the mix-up with Rodgers instead of standing alone.

Belichick’s On-Camera Ease

The Mannings elicited a genuine smile from Belichick by airing a highlight of Lawrence Taylor coming back from a commercial break. They also featured numerous highlights of Belichick and Peyton’s past matchups from Peyton’s time with the Indianapolis Colts, which could likely be a recurring theme in future episodes.

Belichick became a bit complicated and hard to follow while explaining different defensive line roles. It was clear that the production team was prompting Eli with questions, but the discussions felt sufficiently natural.

A stickler for precision, Belichick emphasized the importance of ball security early in the season and made references to games from that weekend.

As halftime approached, Belichick signed off. It remains to be seen if he will stay for the entirety of each first half as he did during this appearance.

“It was fantastic,” Belichick remarked about spending the evening with the Mannings.