Esiason said on Monday that he had heard Blank had extended an offer to Belichick to take over as head coach of the Falcons, which would have meant the veteran Patriots coach had declined the offer.
Belichick’s 24-year tenure with the Patriots ended last month, leaving him without an NFL contract for the first time since 1996.
In the end, Atlanta appointed Raheem Morris as head coach to succeed Arthur Smith.
According to Esiason, Blank’s first choice of coach was Belichick.
“I heard yesterday—and I really think it came from the person I heard it from—that Arthur Blank was allegedly sold on Bill Belichick and had the opportunity to extend an offer of employment to him,” Esiason stated on Monday.
“I don’t know why guys say no, but an NFL executive told me straight up that they think Bill was offered the job by Arthur Blank.” Esiason went on.
“I don’t think it was one of those,” Esiason said. “Now, there may have been some caveats to that offer—you never know.” It’s never, “OK, Bill, I want you; here’s a five-year contract; you do whatever you want.”
“Well, I understand your concerns, but you’re going to have to deal with some of this, and we want you to come in; we want you to be the coach,” is how it was made and sounded to me. Perhaps he simply changed his mind at that point, Esiason continued.
An NFL executive informed Boomer Esiason that Bill Belichick was offered the head coaching position by the Falcons, but he declined the offer. tweet.com/gCt2XurMt8
@BackAftaThis’s Funhouse February 5th, 2024
Blank has not disclosed, nor is he required to disclose, to whom he extended the job offer.
Belichick will turn 72 in April, and if he decides to wait and see what positions become available following the 2019 season, he will be 73 when he coaches an NFL game.
At 65 years old, Andy Reid, the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, is the oldest in the NFL heading into Super Bowl LVIII.
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