The Falcons have been linked to Bill Belichick even before Arthur Smith was fired, and the reports connecting them to Belichick have only ramped up since the end of the season, culminating in an official interview that took place yesterday. It’s no longer rumors anymore. There is “mutual interest” between the two parties, even if the fit appears wonky on paper.
Bill Belichick will be 72 years old by the time next season rolls around. He may still feel like he has a lot of gas left in the tank, but as we saw with Nick Saban recently, things can change on a whim in that regard. It’s very likely Belichick only has a few years left of coaching. Does he really want to spend his final years coaching a team that doesn’t already have an answer at the quarterback position, much like the situation he just left in New England? And should the Falcons really be interested in an aging coach who could decide to retire in a few years, leaving them searching for another head coach in the near future?
It doesn’t sound like either party should have much interest in the other; however, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported Tuesday on SportsCenter that the six-time Super Bowl champion is interested in coaching “talented, yet underachieving teams” and that “Atlanta probably falls in that category.”
“We were hearing for a while that the Falcons were interested and so now I’m hearing that there is mutual interest between the Falcons and Belichick,” Fowler said. “To what extent? Still unclear. But enough for them to meet in person with owner Arthur Blank talking to Belichick, hashing out what their vision might be for that program for a team that’s really a quarterback away. I was told from the beginning that Belichick would likely target talented, yet underachieving teams. Atlanta probably falls in that category.”
There’s no question the Falcons are a talented and underachieving team. They proved that throughout the season, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Houston Texans, and the Green Bay Packers — three teams still alive going into the Divisional Round of the playoffs. However, the Falcons also lost to the Panthers, Commanders, Cardinals, Titans, and Bears. That’s five teams set to pick within the first nine picks of the upcoming NFL draft, including three of the first four.
Atlanta had the easiest schedule in football and a vastly improved defense, yet they finished 7-10 under Arthur Smith for the third consecutive season. With a competent head coach and better quarterback play, it’s fair to expect them to win the NFC South next season, but that second part should scare Belichick and Falcons fans.
Belichick has shown no ability to draft and help develop a quarterback since Tom Brady left. The Falcons shouldn’t trust him to do any differently in Atlanta, and frankly, Belichick shouldn’t trust himself. That’s why this fit still makes no sense. Might the Falcons be better next year with Belichick at the helm? I would say it’s likely, but they still won’t be Super Bowl contenders until the quarterback position is fixed, and the chances Belichick is the right guy to make that decision are slim to none.
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Photo: Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire
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