The Bill Belichick sweepstakes has officially kicked off. The Falcons announced Monday evening that they’ve interviewed the iconic head coach for their own HC vacancy.
Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Belichick recently met in person with Falcons owner Arthur Blank to discuss the opportunity. While no deal is imminent, Pelissero notes that there’s mutual interest between the two sides and “conversations are ongoing.”
Once the Patriots and Belichick made their divorce official, we heard that the Falcons could make a strong push for the head coach. There were also whispers that Blank was seeking more experience during this coaching cycle.
While the owner’s previous hires (Jim Mora Jr., Bobby Petrino, Mike Smith, Dan Quinn, Arthur Smith) were first-time head coaches, Blank’s current focus on experience certainly made Belichick a logical target.
Of course, there’s a bit of history between the two sides. Belichick was famously on the sideline when his Patriots erased a 28-3 deficit to defeat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
Since then, the Falcons have seen an NFC South rival, the Buccaneers, snag a future Hall of Famer from New England and win a Super Bowl. Blank and the Falcons brass are clearly banking on similar fortunes this time around.
The Falcons have loaded up on skill positions in recent drafts, and Pro Football Focus ranked Atlanta’s offensive line — one spearheaded by Chris Lindstrom and Jake Matthews — fourth overall. Further, the front office invested some money into the defense in 2023, and the organization will presumably invest similarly in 2024 if Belichick takes over.
The Falcons are expected to reside in the middle of the cap-space pack, with the organization projected to carry more than $21M.
Of course, the team’s lack of certainty at quarterback could scare away some HC candidates, even with the organization expected to take a bigger QB swing heading into the offseason. Of course, Belichick has famously downplayed the significance of the QB position, a sentiment that played a role in the growing tension between him and Tom Brady.
Belichick would surely welcome the question marks at quarterback, and he’d probably push against the instinct to invest significant draft or free agency capital into the position.
While it’s easy to assume that one of the most accomplished head coaches of all time would be atop the Falcons wish list, that hasn’t stopped the organization from eyeing other candidates for their vacancy.
Belichick is now the 10th official candidate for the role, joining a growing list that includes:
- Brian Callahan, offensive coordinator (Bengals): Interviewed 1/13
- Ejiro Evero, defensive coordinator (Panthers): Interviewed 1/14
- Aaron Glenn, defensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Ben Johnson, offensive coordinator (Lions): Interview requested
- Mike Macdonald, defensive coordinator (Ravens): Interviewed 1/12
- Raheem Morris, defensive coordinator (Rams): Interview requested
- Antonio Pierce, interim head coach (Raiders): Interview requested
- Bobby Slowik, offensive coordinator (Texans): Interview requested
- Anthony Weaver, defensive line coach (Ravens): Interviewed 1/14
- Steve Wilks, defensive coordinator (49ers): Interviewed 1/13
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