Bill Belichick contacted the New York Jets about their head coaching vacancy before accepting the job at North Carolina.

The 72-year-old Belichick was introduced Thursday as North Carolina’s football coach. But the former New England Patriots coach recently reached out to the Jets, who fired Robert Saleh on Oct. 8 and installed defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich as the interim coach.

There were no meetings or formal discussions between Belichick and the Jets, according to reports.

The Athletic first reported the contact between the sides, and the New York Post said Belichick personally reached out to the Jets — a surprising development considering the coach’s strained relationship with the franchise.

Belichick has recently been critical during TV appearances of owner Woody Johnson and the Jets, who are 3-10 and will miss the playoffs for the 14th straight season — the NFL’s longest active drought. The team is also searching for a GM after Johnson fired Joe Douglas on Nov. 19.

Belichick was an assistant on coach Bill Parcells’ staff with the Jets from 1997-99, and was in line to become New York’s head coach when Parcells stepped down. But Belichick instead decided to resign after just one day to pursue the same job in New England. A trade was eventually worked out and Belichick ended up with the Patriots, with whom he won six Super Bowl titles.

In 2007, then-Jets coach Eric Mangini — a former assistant under Belichick — helped initiate the Spygate scandal during which Belichick and the Patriots were fined by the NFL for illegally videotaping signals by Jets coaches during a game.

Belichick agreed to leave the Patriots after last season, ending one of the most successful head coaching tenures in NFL history. His 333 career regular-season and postseason wins trail only Don Shula’s 347, and his 31 playoff wins are the most in league history.

Belichick interviewed last offseason for the Atlanta Falcons’ job, but was out of the NFL this season.

Butker back for Chiefs

The Chiefs will have kicker Harrison Butker back after missing four games to knee surgery but will be without left tackle D.J. Humphries because of a hamstring injury when they visit the Browns today.

The Chiefs activated Butker from injured reserve and waived fellow kicker Matthew Wright on Saturday. Wright had kicked the past two games after fill-in Spencer Shrader went on IR with a hamstring injury, going 8 of 9 on field goals and making both of his PATs while hitting the 31-yard game-winner last week against the Chargers.

Butker was 18 of 20 on field goals and 21 of 22 on PATs before having surgery on his left, non-kicking knee.

Crosby out for MNF

Raiders star defensive end Maxx Crosby will not play in Monday night’s home game against the Falcons because of an ankle injury.

Crosby, who did not practice the past three days, has 7 1/2 sacks and 17 tackles for loss this season. He is just half a sack from becoming the third Raider since at least 1982 with 60 for his career.

QB Aidan O’Connell, who has a bruised left knee, is questionable. If O’Connell doesn’t start, the Raiders will turn to Desmond Ridder, who would face his old club. Ridder started 13 games for the Falcons last season.

Cowboys’ Diggs out

Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs didn’t travel with the team and will miss today’s game because of a lingering knee issue.

Diggs was downgraded to out on the injury report Saturday. The Cowboys (5-8) also placed linebacker DeMarvion Overshown on reserve/injured after he tore multiple ligaments in his right knee in the last game.