After a 2-3 year employment gap, how difficult is it to get a position as a senior network architect, assuming one held that position prior to the gap?

My older brother was a senior network architect at a subsidiary of eBay before getting laid off some 2 1/2 years ago. He felt pretty burned, so he decided to take some 6 months off, but soon began interviewing again. He was making $125k in his previous position and foolishly (it seems to me, but he would also admit now) turned down some positions with comparable salary in the later months during his interviews, looking for a role that promised more interesting work (in roughly the same field— network architecture).

Through a series of extremely unfortunate events, he is now nearly homeless (~2 years and all of his savings later). He now relies heavily on his family and friend community to help pay for air b&b hostels while he hustles to make some money recharging electric scooters (lime, etc) just to afford some food. He has told his friends and family community that he is distributing his resume regularly and it seems like he has a few phone interviews every so often, but I’m wondering what the job landscape is like for someone with his expertise (15 years as a network engineer at various companies). Is an employment gap of 2-3 years fatal to one’s career?

Should he, if he hasn’t already, set his sights on a position with much lower pay ($60k..?) in order to at least get back on his feet?

Assuming he isn’t somehow self-sabotaging himself in the interviewing process, is it likely that word is getting around amongst the recruiters/interviewers that he was laid off from his last position and that it is hindering him moving forward in the interview process? I don’t know exactly why he was laid off, but he has intimated that it was largely due to his failure to be amicable during really stressful periods at the company (some insubordinate behavior..?).

Does he need to try to enter a new geographical market?

Is over-qualification a reason to turn someone down for a junior network architect position?

I want the best for my brother, but my lack of knowledge about the field of his expertise makes it difficult for me suggest, with any clout, a change in his current efforts. I’m wondering if his expectations should adjusted if he hopes to get a salaried position in the field again.

I appreciate any feedback on this.