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This morning, the Patriots and arguably the greatest head coach of all time, Bill Belichick, agreed to part ways after 24 seasons and six Super Bowls.
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots are expected to part ways today after a remarkable 24 seasons together, ending an unmatched run in NFL history that included six Super Bowl titles, league sources tell me and @MikeReiss. pic.twitter.com/IcibaPpA4S
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2024
Unlike his close friend Nick Saban, who announced his retirement yesterday, it doesn’t look like Belichick is ready to hang up the headset just yet, and according to a number of reports, the Falcons are eyeing him to be their next head coach.
I’m told there are teams within the NFC South with potential interest in #Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, per source. I previously discussed potential explorations with the Chargers below. While the future Hall of Famer has made an indelible mark, winning 6 Super Bowls with… https://t.co/YPNLZWiLrN pic.twitter.com/KwAewAyK8T
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) January 4, 2024
That sparked questions surrounding the Falcons’ interest, but it was minimal, given Arthur Smith was still the head coach in Atlanta and Belichick hadn’t been relieved of his duties in New England, even if it was expected.
However, once the Falcons season ended in embarrassing fashion to the Saints and Arthur Smith was officially axed, the rumors really started to poor in connecting Bell Belichick to the Atlanta job, beginning with The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Bill Belichick is still the head coach in New England but the Atlanta Falcons are a team to watch if Belichick is available. They are interested, per sources.
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 8, 2024
Since then, Russini’s report has been confirmed by a multitude of outlets. At the very least, the Falcons are heavily considering the possibility of Bill Belichick as their next head coach. One NFL executive even went as far as to say they should be considered the favorites to land him.
Belichick to the Falcons: Before the Falcons’ 48-17 defeat to New Orleans on Sunday, execs thought coach Arthur Smith might remain in place, unless the Falcons could land Belichick. With Smith losing his job Sunday night, one domino in this prediction has already fallen. Glazer’s report on Belichick’s likely separation from the Patriots follows months of speculation that change is coming to New England.
“Belichick to Dallas is my sleeper,” another exec said, “but I’d make Atlanta the odds-on favorite for Bill, and the Chargers the odds-on favorite for Harbaugh.”
At this point, Belichick to the Falcons is more than just a rumor. Arthur Blank and Rich McKay seem heavily interested in bringing the best coach of all time into the building and seeing if he can revive his career, and this franchise, with a clean slate.
The interest on the Falcons end is understandable, given Belichick’s coaching pedigree, but as ESPN’s Dan Graziano recently pointed out, the fit makes sense from Belichick’s perspective as well.
“I’ve also been told people close to Belichick believe it would be a good fit for him. It’s a strong roster that, yes, needs to figure out the quarterback position. It’s in a relatively calm market where he could be all about the football. And he’d have a team owner who doesn’t meddle in day-to-day affairs.”
More must-reads:
- Saints' QB picture remains unclear with end of preseason nearing
- Packers HC bothered by rookie's 'unacceptable' behavior during preseason game
- The 'Season rushing TD leaders by NFL team' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Who could be the odd man out in Browns QB room?
The Cleveland Browns entered the preseason with four quarterbacks competing for the starting job, but don't expect all of them to be on the 53-man roster. On Sunday, Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced he will name a starting QB before the team's final preseason game against the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET on NFL Network. He also indicated they won't keep all of them on the active roster. "I think we'll let it play out as we get closer to the cut down," Stefanski told the media. "Those are all conversations that we are always having, but those are tough decisions. You know, I'd like to keep everybody, but that's not realistic." Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett and rookies Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel have been competing for the starting QB job throughout the offseason. Flacco will likely win it. The 40-year-old played for Stefanski in 2023, helping the Browns make the playoffs. That season, he went 4-1 in five starts, winning Comeback Player of the Year. Sanders and Gabriel, meanwhile, have flashed potential in their preseason starts. Sanders — a fifth-round pick out of Colorado — finished 14-of-23 passing for 138 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-10 win over the Carolina Panthers on Aug. 8. Gabriel —a third-round pick out of Oregon — went 13-of-18 passing for 143 yards and one interception in a 22-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles Saturday. With that in mind, Pickett seems like the odd man out. The 27-year-old didn't look like a viable starter in his first three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles, tossing 15 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions in 30 regular-season games. Teams that need another backup QB (Los Angeles Rams, Dallas Cowboys) may be interested in Pickett. This past Tuesday, Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer told WKRK-FM in Cleveland he could see a team trade for the former Pittsburgh Panthers star. Regardless, figure on the Browns moving on from Pickett before the start of the regular season in September. He lacks a clear advantage over the other QBs.
After Watching the Film, Critical Assessments Arise Regarding the Raiders
HENDERSON, Nev.—The Las Vegas Raiders began the preseason with a record of 0-1-1 after losing to their former Bay Area rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, last night. I had the opportunity to review the film today, as did Pete Carroll. After discussing it with him, several observations emerged that can only be made with the clarity of hindsight. In our latest episode of the Las Vegas Raiders Insider Podcast, we take you to today’s joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers to highlight specific players who had standout performances, those who faced challenges, and those who may have secured a spot on the roster. You can watch the entire podcast below: Pete Carroll’s leadership has been phenomenal for a franchise desperate for a winner. He has been the exact prescription the Raider Nation needed After watching the film of the loss to the San Francisco 49ers, Carroll addressed several questions, and below is a partial transcript of his responses. Head Coach Pete Carroll Q: I was curious on what your thoughts are on the play of your linebackers and your quarterbacks last night? Head Coach Pete Carroll: "Thought the linebackers were really downhill, really aggressive, flashy. I really liked the way those guys played. I thought we took a step forward in the run game and just attacking line of scrimmage like we want to. We played to the nature of our players, I thought, which is really good because we're aggressive in the tackling, and that showed up. Geno [Smith] was on the money. He was right on everything. Tempo was good. I thought Aidan [O'Connell] continued to little bit -- we're not quite as fast when he's playing. We don't play as quick from huddle to the snap, still trying to work that out. And he made a poor choice on the throw for the pick, unfortunately. It was a crucial time, that was tough. Just the guy was covered, and if he had to it throw away or take off, we would have preferred that." Q: I wanted to ask you about Geno Smith. Back when the two of you were in Seattle when he was playing backup to Russell Wilson, was there ever a time or a moment in practice or in the meeting room where you kind of had this idea that, if given the opportunity like he has the last few years he was in Seattle, now in Las Vegas, that he can be this quality star? Was there ever a moment when he was a backup under Russell that kind of gave you that idea that Geno had that potential? Coach Carroll: "Yeah, I think it was probably in the middle of those first couple of years, and you'd just see him maintain the competitive edge because it's kind of hard to believe that a guy could compete like he's going to play. What I keep telling you is the very next play, he knew he could be in. He seemed like he held onto that long enough, I sensed that and respected that. And his arm talent was always there, the ability to throw and rip the ball, so I was cheerleading for him. And that's kind of when he finally got his chance, I might have been his biggest cheerleader because he had waited and deserved it, and he came in and played really well and almost won a game that way, and then played well the next couple weeks. That was, at the time, when he finally got his chance, and he got out there, he demonstrated it, but you could sense it earlier than that just because he was so dedicated and he looked so good in practice all the time." Q: Obviously your offensive line has been performing well, but there's a clear drop off between the first and second team. How concerned are you about that second string offensive line? Coach Carroll: "Well, we're just so young on the second group. It's just going to take time. We feel like we move well. We have good movement by the young guys. They get out of their stance, and they get on people well. We're just not as accurate with our calls. We're not as clear with our technique stuff, but that takes time. And so I'm not worried about that. Athletically, we're okay, and we just need to find our consistency, and that's just going to take time. They won't play all at the same time very often. They'll spot in, and they'll have the benefit of experienced guys making calls around them and helping them play better. And so I think that the individual development is pretty good. As a group, they're still learning. That's going to take a bit." We'd appreciate it if you would follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr , and let’s talk about the Silver and Black’s training camp and Pete Carroll’s comments.
Celtics new starting center shows glimpse of what's to come
Earlier this summer, the Boston Celtics parted with the entirety of their center rotation for the 2024-25 season. They traded away Kristaps Porzingis and allowed Luke Kornet to leave via free agency, and while Al Horford is yet to sign with a new team, he isn't expected to return to Boston. With three bigs leaving in the same summer, Neemias Queta appears to have jumped from being the fourth-string big last season into the starting center role for the 2025-26 NBA season. And as the franchise is in a retooling year, it will likely try to develop the 7-foot rim-runner. Fortunately for Celtics fans, they're going to get a solid look at how Queta deals with starter-level minutes against high-level opponents in the coming weeks. The 26-year-old big man is with the Portuguese national team, where he will likely anchor the middle of the floor throughout the FIBA EuroBasket tournament. On Friday, Queta suited up against Iceland as part of Portugal's warmup schedule. He earned 14 minutes of playing time and quickly filled the box score, ending the contest with 12 points, six rebounds, one assist and one block. Queta has shown flashes of his upside since joining the Celtics. He played in 62 games last season despite being fourth on the depth chart. He's already proven that he's capable of making an impact against NBA-level opposition. However, there's a difference between earning some spot starts or making a splash against second units and to being a full-time starter. Queta will undoubtedly find himself working through a new learning experience, especially deep into the season, when games start to come at you fast. Fortunately for Queta and Celtics fans, the EuroBasket tournament will serve as a reliable proving ground. He will face some of the best bigs in the world this summer and could quickly squash any concerns Boston's fanbase may have. And with that in mind, Celtics fans will likely hope that Queta's performance against Iceland was a sign of things to come.
Sophie Cunningham Offers Solution for Indiana Fever After Loss on Friday
The Indiana Fever have been dealt several bad hands throughout the season, under head coach Stephanie White. Indiana has played a majority of the season without Caitlin Clark due to injury and they recently received news that Aari McDonald and Sydney Colson would be out for the rest of the season with injuries of their own. While Clark and a few other members of the backcourt have been out, Sophie Cunningham and several other stars have taken over. On Friday, the Fever were dealt an unfortunate loss, losing to the Washington Mystics 88-84. Cunningham shared a solution for the Fever after they lost back-to-back games. "Not a lot of teams can beat us," Cunningham said. "For us it’s just remembering who we are. Got to get back to being dogs. Got to get back to being on our front foot. Not allowing teams to come in here and outwork us." The Indiana Fever have clearly proven that they are championship contenders, but injuries have plagued their season. Throughout the 2025 season, Caitlin Clark has posted 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. All pressure lies on Sophie Cunningham and other stars on the team, but the Fever guard made it clear that as long as Indiana stays within their identity, they should find success. Cunningham has been strong for the Fever during her first season with the team, averaging 8.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game. She stars alongside Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, Natasha Howard and others while Clark is on the sideline.
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