NFL Rumors: These Falcons Staffers Didn’t Want To Work With Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick seemed to be in line to be the next Atlanta Falcons head coach but reported outside fear likely played a factor against the former New England Patriots head coach.
ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler on Wednesday released a thorough report that gave insight into why Belichick went without a head-coaching job this hiring cycle. The biggest bombshell revealed was that Patriots owner Robert Kraft played a key role in dissuading Falcons owner Arthur Blank from hiring Belichick.
The rift between Kraft and Belichick is of no surprise to the league, according to ESPN, and there seemed to be another factor for why teams weren’t eager to hire Belichick. The 72-year-old reportedly planned on bringing in former assistants like Matt Patricia and Josh McDaniels, whom he had low opinions of as head coaches, if he was hired by the Falcons.
More Bill Belichick
ESPN’s report revealed Belichick assured Blank he only wanted to be the head coach and had no plans of a full overhaul. However, general manager Terry Fontenot and CEO Rich McKay reportedly weren’t convinced.
“Belichick wasn’t eager to work with McKay, but it was unclear how much that would have mattered anyway: McKay is a longtime trusted aide to Blank but would soon be promoted out of daily team oversight, sources said,” ESPN wrote. “Belichick assured Blank that he was willing to work with Fontenot.
“By the time the meeting was over, Belichick felt confident it had gone well, a source close to him said. But a source familiar with the Falcons’ thinking said neither McKay nor Fontenot wanted to work with Belichick. Their concerns mirrored those of the Eagles: If you hire Belichick, he will inevitably run the team, even if he doesn’t demand total control.”
Philadelphia considered firing Nick Sirianni for Belichick, but it felt it wasn’t worth the short-term gain to completely alter its infrastructure, according to ESPN.
When the time came for Atlanta to choose its next head coach, Belichick reportedly was not among the finalists, and Raheem Morris was hired.
Belichick will begin his media career this year as he’s reportedly set to join Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions, and he was announced for the “Pat McAfee Show’s” draft coverage next Thursday.