After being too sick to attend Rahem Morris’ opening press conference, Arthur Blank finally appeared in front of the media today to address a plethora of questions. Much of it centered around the new structure of the organization with Rich McKay now supposedly out of football operations; however, Falcons fans deserved to hear answers about what happened with Bill Belichick, and Blank’s story is a lot different from what NFL insiders have been telling the world since the Falcons decided to hire Morris.
Almost every reputable insider has come to the conclusion that Bill Belichick wanted full control of the situation in Atlanta. He wasn’t just satisfied being the head coach; he wanted things exactly the way they were in New England, which is why Arthur Blank decided to pivot. The Falcons owner wasn’t comfortable with giving Belichick full autonomy of the organization knowing that he wasn’t going to be around for many more years because of his age.
However, Blank said that was not the case. Belichick never asked for full control. He also referred to the former Patriots head coach as a living legend and that his interviews went great.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Bill Belichick's "interviews were excellent" and that he was talking to a living legend.
Wants to make clear Belichick NEVER asked the Falcons for full control of the building.
"All these things being produced by the media were totally not true."
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) February 9, 2024
At this point, it’s difficult to really trust anything that the Falcons put out into the public air. Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire, and there is a whole lot of smoke suggesting an internal pushback was the primary reason Arthur Blank did not go with his gut and hire Bill Belichick.
But, in this situation, I’m going to choose to take Arthur Blank for his word. I do think Raheem Morris was the better of the two options because of the Falcons current situation. They aren’t one Bill Belichick away from competing for a Super Bowl. They need someone who is going to be committed to the process of improving over the long haul.
Arthur Blank also refuted Boomer Esiason‘s remarks about the Falcons offering Belichick the job, which he supposedly turned down.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Bill Belichick was NEVER offered the Atlanta Falcons head coaching job.
"Where Boomer heard that from, I have no idea," Blank said.
— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) February 9, 2024
I 100% believe Blank on this one. Belichick is currently sitting on his couch and isn’t getting any younger. I don’t think any part of him was eager to get passed over by every team with a head coach opening. If anything, it’s embarrassing for a man that has a lot of pride. Had the Falcons offered him the job, I believe he would have taken it in a heartbeat.
Atlanta was a good landing spot for Belichick in theory. There’s much less media to deal with. The roster is in pretty good shape and the division is easily winnable. A Super Bowl might have been difficult to accomplish, but he could have brought the Falcons to the playoffs immediately, which would have been a win in the eyes of the fans.
The unfortunate truth is Falcons fans will likely never know what really went on between Arthur Blank, Rich McKay, Terry Fontenot, and Bill Belichick. Imaginations can run wild, but the truth may never leave those walls.
—
Photographer: Mark Alberti/Icon Sportswire
You must log in to post a comment.