Bill Belichick is no longer the head coach of the New England Patriots, but he may not have to wait long for his next job. According to rumors, the NFC South’s Atlanta Falcons have “strong interest” in hiring the six-time Super Bowl champion.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler provide the reports. They revealed the information on Wednesday, January 10, one day before Belichick officially left the Patriots after 24 seasons as head coach.
Atlanta fired Arthur Smith on January 9, and the Falcons “will have a strong interest in Bill Belichick,” according to Graziano. Notably, the latter has “also been told by people close to Belichick that they believe it would be a good fit for him.”
Fowler confirms Graziano’s account, saying, “that’s the sense I get with Belichick, too.” I heard some Falcons rumors and didn’t believe them at first, but there appears to be some traction.”
These rumors fuel speculation that Belichick may leave New England for a spell in the NFC South. The road Tom Brady took when he departed the Patriots for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020, hastening the end of the Belichick era at Gillette Stadium.
The Falcons were the victims of arguably Belichick’s most famous victory, which adds to the irony. It came in the Super Bowl following the 2016 season, when Brady and the Patriots overcame a 28-3 deficit to defeat the Falcons in overtime and capture their fifth Lombardi Trophy.
Using DraftKings odds, Ricky Henne of ActionNetwork.com discovered that the Falcons are +350 to be coached by Belichick next season. If the Falcons increase their interest now that Belichick is a free agent, those odds may improve.
Belichick, Bill Becoming a member of the Atlanta Falcons Has Merit Belichick’s arrival in the South has been highly discussed in recent days. Josina Anderson of CBS Sports stated as much on Thursday, January 4: “I’m told there are teams within the NFC South with potential interest.”
The concept of Belichick going to Atlanta has a lot of merit.
Following three straight 7-10 finishes, he’d inherit a competitive lineup in need of fine tuning less than a massive rebuild.
Belichick may be concerned about quarterback issues. Particularly given his inability to succeed Brady in New England. Despite this, the Falcons have a stronger supporting cast than the Patriots, owing to running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, tight end Kyle Pitts, and wide receiver Drake London.
There’s also the extra benefit of the South being a weak division that can be exploited. The Buccaneers won the championship this season, but their 9-8 record did not excite fans.
Belichick would undoubtedly like to beat the rebuilding Carolina Panthers, the aging Buccaneers, and the New Orleans Saints next season. He built a large part of his career with the Patriots by ruthlessly exploiting the AFC East’s poor competition.
The major reason Belichick could want to work for the Falcons has to do with ownership. Graziano explains the advantage: “It’s in a relatively calm market where he could be all about the football.” And he’d have a team owner who isn’t involved in day-to-day operations.”
Returning to his exclusive focus as a football coach is the only option for Belichick to repair the harm done by his final years in New England. Similarly, the Patriots will benefit from not being completely dependent on one player.
Patriots Need a New Beginning Following Bill Belichick
Making a clean break between Belichick and the Patriots has been on team owner Robert Kraft’s mind for some time. In reality, following a loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Munich in Week 10, Kraft decided to cut ties with Belichick.
Kraft understands that the Pats need a fresh start following only one postseason trip in four years, a stretch that culminated in this season’s 4-13 result. There are gaps all throughout the roster, but the Patriots will have plenty of options to replace Belichick.
He leaves behind one of the best defenses in the NFL. The defense ranks ninth in yards allowed and is led by excellent young players such as defensive tackle Christian Barmore, outside linebacker Anfernee Jennings, and cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
It’s clear where the Patriots need help, therefore it makes sense for the next head coach to have a good offensive background. Who controls the front office may be more significant.
According to Steve Buckley of The Athletic, Belichick made personnel selections, but his recent track record leaves a lot to be desired: “Since 2013, not a single player drafted by the Patriots in the first three rounds has been re-signed.”
Prolonged incompetence made it simple to say goodbye to Belichick, even if Kraft wished the 71-year-old success elsewhere, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Patriots will not return to winning ways if they give the next coach the same unfettered discretion over roster construction.
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