Bill Belichick. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Insider indicates Bill Belichick is furious Falcons snubbed him

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 1/27/24

When the Atlanta Falcons announced their intention to hire Raheem Morris as their next head coach, Bill Belichick was likely just as surprised as the rest of us.

Atlanta was the reported front-runner to hire Belichick as Arthur Smith’s successor even before he officially parted ways with the New England Patriots, but something happened over the last few weeks that made the Falcons reverse course and go with the 47-year-old Morris.

Although Belichick will never publicly disclose his feelings about the matter, Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal believes that Belichick is steamed over being passed up for a coach with 408 fewer games of head-coaching experience than he has.

“I think he’s p-ssed,” Bedard told NBC Sports Boston. “I think he’s really upset about this. I think that he had this job. I really hope Bill Belichick lands in the NFC South with his next job, if he gets a next job because I would like to see what he does to the Falcons each time he plays them.”

"Arthur Blank wanted to hire Bill Belichick the head coach... it was everything else that was going to have to happen"@AlbertBreer & @tomecurran discuss the Falcon's decision to go with Raheem Morris over Bill Belichick as their next head coach pic.twitter.com/ynQoB5gzBO
— NBC Sports Boston's Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) January 25, 2024

Bedard made the case that because Belichick believed the Falcons job was his to lose, it made his parting of ways with the Patriots so seamless and amicable. Had that not been the case, Bedard said, things could have presumably dragged out for far longer.

“I think Belichick thought he had a really good shot at this job, even before he exited the Patriots,” Bedard added. “…I think Bill thought he had the Falcons in his back pocket. (Falcons owner) Arthur Blank I know wanted to hire Bill certainly early in the process, then it got away from him because Arthur Blank is one of these guys that listens to everybody.”

With just two teams left with head-coaching vacancies (the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders), it’s likely that Belichick sits out the 2024 season and returns to coaching in 2025.

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