Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick is far and away the most accomplished candidate available on the head coaching circuit right now.
He’s arguably the greatest NFL coach of all time, and he’s got six Super Bowl rings to show for it. His defensive scheme can still stymy the best quarterbacks and offensive game plans in the league, too.
However, his track record as a general manager is less than stellar, and his Patriots faded in the last couple of seasons. It’s very possible he won’t have a job when this latest NFL coaching carousel is done.
While the Atlanta Falcons have been frequently linked to Belichick since firing Arthur Smith and have interviewed the coach twice, the team is still interviewing candidates and could hypothetically pivot into a different direction.
It’s possible Atlanta’s organizational structure could butt heads with the way Belichick likes to run his team: as a football czar with total and complete control over that side of the building. Longtime NFL executive Rich McKay oversees football operations in Atlanta, and those two have reportedly had friction in the past because of McKay’s role with the NFL’s competition committee , per Sports Illustrated‘s Albert Breer.
The Falcons are still the favorite to land Belichick, but what if they ultimately aren’t willing to give the former Patriots coach everything he wants to feel comfortable taking the job? What if someone else sways Atlanta’s interest?
No other team in the NFL has conducted an official interview as of yet with Belichick, and it’s no guarantee that any of the remaining league vacancies have interest in talking with him. Pro Football Talk shared on Sunday that there are other possible suitors lurking for the Patriots legend, but will they actually materialize into tangible meetings?
In a “What have you done for me lately?” league, Belichick could find himself on the outs with hotter candidates fielding multiple interview requests.
Up-and-coming coordinators like Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and Cincinnati Bengals head coach Brian Callahan are garnering tons of interest, with everyone wanting to find the next version of Kyle Shanahan, Mike McDaniel, DeMeco Ryans, Matt LaFleur, Dan Campbell, Shane Steichen, Todd Bowles or Kevin Stefanski.
Also, former NFL coaches like Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel have garnered much more public interest from other teams than Belichick has.
The trouble with Belichick is that he’s not been nearly as successful as those names above in recent years (save a very solid 10-7 season in 2021 with Josh McDaniels calling plays and a rookie Mac Jones impressing), and his vaunted Patriots Way might be collecting dust in a more player-friendly NFL.
The old school approach worked incredibly well for Belichick during the heyday of Tom Brady, but his team wasn’t quite the same after the future Hall of Fame quarterback left town for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It doesn’t diminish Belichick’s storied tenure in New England, but it may give other NFL teams healthy skepticism for mounting a revival under Belichick’s watch.
Belichick might just need a change of scenery to win his seventh Super Bowl, following in Brady’s footsteps after the latter went to Florida. However, it’s also possible Belichick’s best days are behind him, and he’s as much of a risk to hire as any young coordinator who hasn’t done the job before in their careers.
The Falcons may well hire Belichick when it’s all said and done, a very fascinating bit of irony considering how Super Bowl 51 went for Atlanta. It’s also very possible that the Falcons, and all the other NFL teams looking for a new head coach, prefer other candidates to Belichick.
We’ve heard so much about Belichick notching the 15 wins necessary to pass Don Shula on the all-time NFL coaching wins list, but will he actually get an opportunity to do so? At least in this coaching cycle, it’s no sure thing.
