ESPN NEWS FLASH: NFL and Falcons reveals who is favorites to be Falcons next head coach among the three shortlisted candidates

The Falcons are officially in the market for a head coach.

Following a forgettable season finale, Atlanta announced the departure of Arthur Smith, who had gone 7-10 in each of his three seasons.

The Falcons consistently fell short of expectations this year, and though I put more blame at the feet of Desmond Ridder, it was Smith’s decision to put his eggs in a third-round pick’s basket.

It’s unfortunate that Smith probably would’ve made the postseason had he not been as stubborn with the quarterback position and figured out Ridder wasn’t the guy in 2022 instead of forcing Marcus Mariota, but we move.

As of right now, the Falcons have only been connected to one potential head coaching candidate, and it’s a guy that isn’t available yet. The Athletic’s Dianna Russini is reporting that the club is a team that will be interested in Bill Belichick.
So it’s no surprise that he’s the betting favorite to be the next Falcons head coach, tied with Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, followed by Michigan’s Jim Harbaugh, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.

A couple of Ravens coordinators should also be considered candidates in Todd Monken and Mike McDonald, along with Joe Brady, who is currently coordianting the Bills offense. The Falcons should cast a wide net and shouldn’t limit their options.

I don’t exactly have a preference, but I think Belichick would be a desperate move by an owner who wants to win. The only problem is that might not be the best course of action in the long term.

Hopefully, the Falcons find the next Kyle Shanahan!