If the recent rumors are true and the Atlanta Falcons do plan to make Bill Belichick a top target to be their next head coach, it seems they may not have much competition for his legendary services.
History was made this week when the New England Patriots brought one of the greatest eras in professional sports lore to an end. After 24 unforgettable seasons, the organization is moving on from iconic head coach Bill Belichick. Yet, while New England is looking ahead toward change, the 71-year-old has no intentions of retiring from the league.
- Bill Belichick record by season: 10-7 (2021), 8-9 (2022), 4-13 (2023)
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With rumors for weeks that he could be out as the Patriots head coach after this season, there has been a bunch of speculation about where he could land to continue his career and break the record for all-time NFL head coach wins. One team that has consistently been linked to Belichick over the last week is the Atlanta Falcons.
The organization has an opening after firing Arthur Smith following three underwhelming seasons where they finished 7-10 every year. The assumption has been that many of the teams with head coach openings would likely pursue Belichick since he is arguably the greatest coach in league history.
However, it seems the Falcons could have an excellent chance of securing his talents because he is rumored to be interested in the job and there may be fewer competitors for him than originally expected.
Bill Belichick reportedly interested in Atlanta Falcons head coach job
“I was told to focus on talented, yet underachieving teams because that’s really his wheelhouse,” ESPN NFL insider Jeremy Fowler reported on a Saturday edition of Sportscenter. “So, Atlanta comes to mind, they’re probably a quarterback away. There’s a belief leaguewide that there’s some interest, potentially some mutual interest. There’s also not a clear-cut fit right now.
“There are several teams in the league that are either looking to go with a younger coach or are just looking for a new outlook. Washington is probably out. Tennessee is probably out. Seattle is probably out. There aren’t a lot of options right now,” he added. “[There] could be some surprises depending on what happens in the playoffs if another job opens that’s a little more high profile, Belichick could look into that.”
Fowler also mentioned the Chargers as an option but they seem to be making a hard pursuit for Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Carolina Panthers and Las Vegas Raiders could also be potential competition, although Las Vegas is likely to bring back interim head coach Antonio Pierce.
Related: 5 Atlanta Falcons coaching candidates to replace Arthur Smith