Despite being an early favorite for the Atlanta Falcons head coach opening, Bill Belichick was beaten out for the job by Raheem Morris, and it seems one of the team’s top young stars was looking forward to being coached by the NFL legend.
When Belichick became available after ending his two-decade tenure with the New England Patriots, it wasn’t long before the Falcons interviewed the six-time Super Bowl winner. However, while all signs pointed to him landing the job, Atlanta instead gave the job to Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris.
While the decision was met with praise by many around the NFL, it sure looks like 2023 first-round pick Bijan Robinson was very interested in the opportunity to be mentored by Belichick.
- Bijan Robinson stats (2023): 1,463 total yards, 8 total TDs, 58 receptions
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Bijan Robinson assumed the Atlanta Falcons were hiring Bill Belichick
While in Las Vegas for Super Bowl week, Robinson appeared on the FOX Sports talk show “Undisputed” and revealed his belief that Belichick was going to be his new coach. And it seems like the 71-year-old has a style that would have been a good fit for the dual-threat running back.
“That’s who I was expecting we were gonna hire,” Robinson said. “I thought it was gonna be Belichick. Obviously, he’s the greatest coach of all time. I’m used to the coaches who are strictly business and want to win right away. It’ll be tough on you but that’s what you’ve got to handle. I was definitely prepared to have him come [to Atlanta].”
Considering there are some concerns that modern players may not mesh with old-school coaches, it is interesting that the 22-year-old was prepared for Belichick’s hard-nosed and demanding style. Nevertheless, under new head coach Raheem Morris, Robinson is set to be a featured talent after a strong rookie season in Atlanta.
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