Falcons linked with massive names after firing of Arthur Smith

Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank confirmed the firing of head coach Arthur Smith shortly after midnight Monday morning, possibly because Blank plans to go big-game hunting this winter. 

Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported following Sunday's NFL action that "no less than a half dozen people I’ve talked to over the past week have linked the Falcons to (New England Patriots) coach Bill Belichick."

Dianna Russini of The Athletic and NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport (h/t Yahoo! Sports) also named the Falcons as a possible landing spot for Belichick on Monday. 

Belichick is under contract through the 2024 season and suggested Monday morning that he could give up personnel control to remain with the Patriots after they missed the playoffs for a third time in four years under his watch. The six-time Super Bowl champion head coach who turns 72 years old this April is expected to continue coaching even if Patriots owner Robert Kraft and team president Jonathan Kraft go in a different direction, as Belichick is only 15 wins away from breaking the NFL record for career victories earned by a head coach (regular season and postseason combined). 

The Krafts could look to trade Belichick's rights to a team such as the Falcons instead of letting him hit the open market. On Monday morning, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk noted that Belichick does not have to accept a trade to an organization and can essentially force the Krafts to fire him. 

Breer added that he has "heard that Blank has at least looked into the concept of hiring Belichick" or Michigan Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh.

"One connected source said, 'I wouldn’t sleep on Atlanta' with Harbaugh to replace Smith," Breer wrote.

Rapoport and fellow NFL Network personality Tom Pelissero reported over the weekend that Harbaugh "has evaluated openings in anticipation of a potential return to pro football after Monday's College Football Playoff National Championship game" between Michigan and the Washington Huskies. Harbaugh previously guided the San Francisco 49ers to Super Bowl XLVII, where they lost to the Baltimore Ravens. He reportedly considered joining either the Indianapolis Colts or Denver Broncos last winter but instead remained at Michigan, but that was before a much-publicized sign-stealing scandal hovered over the program. 

As recently as last week, knowledgeable individuals such as Heather Dinich of ESPN mentioned the idea that Michigan ultimately may have to vacate wins as the result of "two separate NCAA investigations -- one into the sign-stealing scandal that allegedly spanned multiple seasons, and another into alleged recruiting violations during the COVID-19 season." Harbaugh may want nothing to do with any headaches associated with such punishments following Monday's title contest and likely would receive a lucrative offer to return to the NFL this offseason.