Bill Belichick to pursue TV after Falcons pass over him

Even before the Falcons fired Arthur Smith, the club was linked to Bill Belichick, even though he and the Patriots hadn’t parted ways yet.

Once both sides were free to explore options in the market, Arthur Blank and Belichick met in person, which is what sparked widespread belief that the Falcons would eventually hire the coach that many consider to be the greatest of all time.

Betting markets, NFL insiders, and everyone in between believed Belichick was coming to Atlanta until rumors and reports surfaced of internal pushback against the idea because of what it meant for their jobs if he was hired.

Eventually, Raheem Morris was hired, and Blank denied all rumors of internal dispute along with Belichick’s desire for control. Now, the greatest coach of all time will not be on NFL sidelines for the first time in nearly 50 years.

Thankfully, he won’t be away from the game because Belichick is pursuing television jobs, according to his son Steve, per Khari Thompson and Christopher Price of The Boston Globe.

Much like Nick Saban retiring, Bill Belichick leaving the Patriots was met with cheers among rival fan bases. However, once the dust settled, it was clear the college football and NFL worlds would miss Saban and Belichick. Both levels are infinitely better with the two GOATs around the game, so I’m glad that Saban and Belichick will be on TV this season.

For Belichick, it’s a hiatus while it’s permanent for Saban. The hope for Belichick is to be something like Sean Payton, who stepped away from coaching for the 2022 season before joining the Broncos in 2023.

With jobs like the Cowboys and Eagles potentially opening in 2025, Belichick will have a good shot to coach again and surpass Don Shula’s record, but it won’t be with the Falcons.

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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire