Bill Belichick may be interested in coaching for an NFC team in 2024
Among the growing list of teams that may be or already have expressed interest behind closed doors in Bill Belichick if he becomes available is the Atlanta Falcons, who fired head coach Arthur Smith earlier this week. Although they're the newest team said to like the idea of Belichick, it's apparently getting pretty serious fairly quickly, and it may not be one-sided.
On Wednesday, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano reported that the NFC South team has their eye on the Patriots' situation and the decision Robert Kraft ultimately makes regarding Belichick's future. Because of the silence from all since the end of the season on Sunday, most believe this points to the legendary coach not returning for the 2024 season, which Atlanta would love to hear.
The insiders believe it would be a great move for Belichick to start over with a small market team in need of a new quarterback, allowing him to focus solely on the football aspect instead of everything else that has been on his plate in New England.
“I have been told (the Falcons) will have strong interest in Bill Belichick if, as most seem to expect, he and the Patriots part ways. 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. Interesting idea, should Belichick and the Patriots split here in the next couple of days.”
It's interesting to hear that sources close to Belichick claim it would be a great fit for the 72-year-old coach since all we've heard him say is his desire to remain in New England. It's an ideal scenario for him since he's spent the last 24 years there and has put together an unmatchable resume.
But maybe the idea of starting over sounds appealing to him. That's hard to imagine, given his age and possible hesitance to rebuild a roster. If he did want to get involved with a complete teardown, there would be no need to go anywhere else because that's the situation the Patriots have been in since Tom Brady left four years ago.
Even if it seems hard to believe, Fowler doubled down and shared he has been hearing the same thing. So we should maybe consider that, too.
The sooner we hear from Kraft, though, the better.