Bill Belichick to Falcons? Why Front Office 'Doesn't Want' Arthur Blank to Hire Pats Legend

The Atlanta Falcons could hire Bill Belichick, a decision that could be fueled completely by owner Arthur Blank instead of the front office.
Bill Belichick to Falcons? Why Front Office 'Doesn't Want' Arthur Blank to Hire Pats Legend
Bill Belichick to Falcons? Why Front Office 'Doesn't Want' Arthur Blank to Hire Pats Legend /
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The Atlanta Falcons are the only team with a head coaching vacancy still linked to Bill Belichick, who stepped down from the New England Patriots after 24 years at the helm.

Belichick went to 10 Super Bowls with the Patriots, but after Tom Brady left following the 2019 season, the Pats haven't won a playoff game. However, that doesn't erase his status as arguably the greatest coach of all-time. That would mean the Falcons would want him, right? Well, not so fast.

Bill Belichick Robert Kraft Arthur Blank
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"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,” Bill Simmons said on his podcast. “The people that run the franchise, they just want to keep their jobs, they’re in job preservation mode."

Belichick has been the de facto general manager of the Patriots since 2000, so if he were to flock to the Falcons, he likely would have a major say in personnel decisions, something the front office wouldn't exactly be fond of.

“You bring in Belichick — you think Belichick’s going to listen to like [John] McKay’s kid … or [general manager Terry] Fontenot," Simmons said. "He’s going to be like, ‘I’m going to do my own thing.’ “

Falcons Coaching Candidate Hired by Titans

Belichick's recent track record of finding talent isn't great ... the Pats are 12-22 in the past two seasons. On top of that, the quarterback dilemma the Falcons face is real, and Belichick's disciples post-Brady haven't gotten glowing reviews. And this is probably part of the reason why the Falcons are interviewing other candidates instead of just hiring Belichick now.

However, the front office pushback could very well be real ... and it remains to be seen whether they will win this battle or if Blank pushes his own agenda over the executives.


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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.