The Falcons are in the heat of their search for a head coach, but it is embroiled in conflicting reports and rumors. So, I thought it might be useful for fans to see all of them in one place.
Arthur Blank is clearly enamored with the idea of bringing in the architect of The Patriot Way. He’s 81 years old and isn’t getting any younger. He’s desperate, which is why he’s “all-in” on Bill Belichick, according to CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones.
“But a source familiar with Belichick told CBS Sports Blank “desperately” wants Belichick and that it’s ultimately Belichick’s job if he wants it,” Jones writes.
What’s interesting about the Falcons pursuit of Bill Belichick is the fact that no other club is publicly interested in the coach that many consider to be the greatest of all time. Why is Atlanta the only one? Well, Mike Florio doesn’t believe that to be true.
According to Florio, there’s “belief in some league circles” that the Eagles and Cowboys expressed interest in Belichick, that he “didn’t reciprocate,” forcing Dallas and Philadelphia to stick with their current coaches.
“Multiple teams are quietly considering a potential run at Belichick,” per Florio. The insider added that one currently has a head coach vacancy while the other does not.
Though most media pundits believe Bill Belichick is the frontrunner for the vacancy, a recent report from an Atlanta beat writer, Michael Rothstein of ESPN, says the search is wide open.
Another Falcons beat writer, Josh Kendall of The Athletic added that he’s hearing it is far from a done deal, and the narrative that it is “Belichick or bust” is inaccurate.
“At the very least, the Belichick candidacy has lost momentum in the past week, with multiple league sources telling The Athletic that assuming it’s “Belichick or bust” is inaccurate,” Kendall writes.
As those closest to the Falcons report Belichick is not a forgone conclusion, reports from national media pundits say the Falcons have come away from interviews impressed with several candidates, including Anthony Weaver, Mike Macdonald, Aaron Glenn, and Ben Johnson.
More recently, a report that said the club was very impressed with Bobby Slowik was released today, with former Atlanta journalist Steve Wyche emphasizing how impressed the team came away.
Publicly, it’s unclear which way the Falcons are leaning, but internally, it might be even more split than it seems on the surface.
Jeff Schultz recently shed light on Rich McKay’s role within the organization, giving background on the CEO’s past decade within the organization, being relieved of general manager duties then making it all of the way back to football operations. What’s most important is Schultz went on to say McKay’s role has always been viewed negatively by potential head coach and general manager candidates.
To add even more information to the situation, Bill Simmons, who isn’t considered an NFL insider, went a step further by saying Arthur Blank wants Bill Belichick but the rest of the front office doesn’t.
“The Atlanta thing, there’s a lot of buzz going around right now about the Atlanta job, that the executives are there are trying — and I’ve heard this, I’m telling you from so many different people — basically Arthur Blank wants to hire Bill Belichick, and all the front office people in Atlanta don’t want to hire Belichick because it’s like any big company — sport franchises are like microcosms of all big companies,” Simmons said on his podcast, via the New York Post.
Rumors of an internal dispute within the organization as the Falcons pursue Bill Belichick are just the tip of the iceberg. Arthur Blank is seemingly stuck between a rock and a hard place.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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