Bill Belichick faces obstacle for new NFL job after leaving New England Patriots
The Atlanta Falcons' bosses have made their thoughts clear about Bill Belichick. He's the top choice for the vacant head coach role at the Falcons, but while owner Arthur Blank is keen on the six-time Super Bowl winner, there appear to be some doubts in the front office.
After an amazing 24 seasons leading the New England Patriots, Belichick and the team split ways after a tough 2023 season. The legendary head coach took the Patriots from a team with no wins to six Super Bowl victories, making them one of the best teams in North American sports history along with quarterback Tom Brady and owner Rob Kraft.
When Brady moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, the Patriots had a hard time - and Belichick left his job as head coach and acting general manager after the team finished 4-13. This means one of the greatest minds in football is now available, and teams with vacancies are taking notice.
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The Falcons let go of Arthur Smith after a 7-10 regular season, finishing third in the NFC South and missing out on the playoffs again. After their own disappointing season, the Falcons have now interviewed Belichick twice.
The Falcons have some talented young players on their team, like Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and rookie Bijan Robinson. But they struggled to shine in 2023. The team also has some strong defenders who could become a powerful unit under the right leadership.
However, sports personality Bill Simmons reckons there are folks in the Falcons front office who don't want six-time Super Bowl champ Belichick in charge. While owner Arthur Blank would love to see the 71-year-old take the reins, there might be some disagreement within the team in a clear obstacle to Belichick securing a quick-fire return to the league.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 31: Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank looks on prior to a game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on December 31, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) (Getty Images)"The Atlanta thing, there's a lot of buzz going around right now about the Atlanta job, that the executives are there are trying - and I've heard this, I'm telling you from so many different people - basically Arthur Blank wants to hire Bill Belichick, and all the front office people in Atlanta don't want to hire Belichick because it's like any big company - sport franchises are like microcosms of all big companies," said Simmons on his podcast.
"The people that run the franchise, they just want to keep their jobs, they're in job preservation mode, so they're like 'Maybe we hire Raheem Morris.' Yeah, you hire Raheem Morris, he's young, you'll have your job for five more years.
The statement was made: "You bring in Belichick - you think Belichick's going to listen to like [John] McKay's kid ... or [general manager Terry] Fontenot. He's going to be like, 'I'm going to do my own thing.'"
Bill Belichick is a free agent after spending 24 years dominating the NFL with the New England Patriots (Getty Images)In Atlanta, the positions of head coach and general manager both report to CEO Rich McKay. It's not sure if Belichick would be on board with this structure, seeing as he's held both roles in New England for a while.
Blank is said to be very interested in having Belichick as head coach, and according to ESPN Insider Adam Schefter on 'The Pat McAfee Show', the Falcons are the only team looking to secure his services that he knows of. As the owner, it will ultimately be Blank's call, regardless of whether or not other members of management oppose his hiring.
* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]
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