Henry McKenna
AFC East Reporter
Bill Belichick was always a difficult candidate to match for in this hiring cycle.
If there was one team that made sense, it was the Atlanta Falcons. They have cap space and talent. They seem to be just a quarterback away from a playoff-caliber roster, maybe even a Super Bowl-caliber roster. And the thought was that maybe Falcons owner Arthur Blank would grant Belichick enough power — or maybe the legendary coach would concede enough power — to make it work. The opportunity was enough for Belichick to interview.
But he didn’t get the job. On Thursday, the Falcons came to terms with Raheem Morris to be their next head coach.
Not Belichick.
It’s surreal to say, but the greatest coach of all time might not be on an NFL sideline in 2024.
While Belichick was the first candidate to get a second interview for the Falcons’ vacancy — and appeared to have a 28-3 lead in the situation — it was Morris who took the gig.
It’s possible that Belichick’s candidacy didn’t work out, in part, because Atlanta anticipated friction between Belichick, Falcons GM Terry Fontenot and even CEO Rich McKay. After all, Belichick had long operated as the coach and GM for the New England Patriots. It’s possible — and maybe even likely — he expected to have the final say on personnel. And the power structure wasn’t flexible in Atlanta.
So now Belichick is left with two remaining openings: the Seattle Seahawks and the Washington Commanders.
It’s unlikely they’re legitimate options.
He has not interviewed for either job and the teams have not shown interest in him. Seattle just moved on from Pete Caroll, who profiles similarly to Belichick, a successful coach but one at the end of his career. Seattle doesn’t match for Belichick. The Commanders make some sense, given their wealth of cap space and draft assets. If Belichick had an interest in a rebuild, the Commanders would work. It’s just that he’s 71 and…
Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/after-missing-out-on-falcons-job-might-bill-belichick-be-out-of-nfl-in-2024
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Publish date : 2024-01-26 00:20:58
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