Insiders speculate if team other than Falcons will hire Bill Belichick

The Atlanta Falcons clearly are in no hurry to announce Bill Belichick as their new head coach and ultimately may go in a different direction this winter. 

For a piece published Thursday, Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN mentioned that Belichick could remain a free agent through the offseason if he doesn't land in Atlanta. 

"What I think a lot of people on the outside of this find interesting is that Atlanta feels like the only option for Belichick," Graziano said to Fowler about the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach. "Like, if he's not coaching the Falcons next season, he's not coaching anybody, right?" 

Despite numerous rumors linking Belichick to the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, both clubs are moving forward with their current head coaches. None of the playoff teams eliminated ahead of conference championship Sunday have thus far scheduled a meeting with the 71-year-old. 

"I haven't spoken to one person who says Belichick has something else brewing," Fowler revealed. 

Somewhat interestingly, Fowler also shared that "in talking to someone close to (Belichick), I don't get the sense he's trying to bulldoze a front office and make it his own." 

ESPN published Fowler's update after New England Patriots and NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated suggested on Wednesday that some within the Falcons don't want team owner Arthur Blank to hire a coach "who could make changes to staff and structure." 

Former Patriots safety and current NFL analyst Devin McCourty is among those who believe Belichick's age is working against the legendary coach as it pertains to openings. 

Fowler did note that Belichick could spend a season away from coaching and see what jobs open up for him next January, and others previously speculated Belichick could work as an in-studio analyst for one of the NFL's media partners this fall. 

Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reported on Jan. 3 that CBS could soon have several openings for its "The NFL Today" program. That network almost certainly would love to feature Belichick in pre-game, halftime and post-game segments.