Bill Belichick to the Falcons seemed like an inevitability but reports cast question how all in Atlanta is on the former New England Patriots head coach.
Arthur Blank reportedly met Belichick for his first interview and had a follow-up meeting before his second interview with Falcons front office members. Belichick flew into Atlanta on one of the team’s private jets, so it seemed like a certainty he would sign there.
However, there reportedly is hesitation from the organization, which has interviewed and scheduled interviews with other candidates. ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Thursday concluded Belichick “isn’t the favorite” for the job and admitted it’s possible he won’t land one of the vacant positions.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano on Thursday reported there is a possibility Belichick still lands in Atlanta but not everyone in the organization might be in favor of the former Patriots coach.
“There are hurdles to clear, though, in terms of what the organizational structure would look like under Belichick,” Graziano wrote. “Longtime Falcons team president Rich McKay is a very powerful figure in that organization and a trusted lieutenant of team owner Arthur Blank. His role likely would be reduced if Belichick came to town, and there’s also a feeling that Belichick would bring a lot of his own people for positions up and down the organization. So as you would imagine, there’s pushback from people in the building whose jobs might be negatively impacted.”
Graziano supported previous reporting that Belichick might bring in the likes of Josh McDaniels and Matt Patricia with him. Jeremy Fowler also co-signed the report that Belichick to the Falcons has “lost momentum,” and he wondered if any team would sign him if he doesn’t become Atlanta’s head coach.
The 71-year-old could opt for a media career or take a year off, but the apparent lack of interest in Belichick has confounded those around the league and even former players.
As Atlanta looks at other candidates like Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, those interviews could be enough to convince the Falcons to go elsewhere and remove Belichick from consideration.
