Bill Belichick Rumors: Why Teams Hesitant To Hire Patriots Legend

Most teams, including the New England Patriots, probably would sign on for hiring Bill Belichick the head coach.

But Belichick, of course, isn’t just any head coach. To borrow a phrase from perhaps the greatest TV show of all time: “He’s a (bleeping) planet.”

A week ago, Belichick appeared destined to land with the Falcons. But his move to Atlanta reportedly has “lost momentum,” and the Falcons have scheduled interviews with other high-profile candidates, including Mike Vrabel. Furthermore, as more and more NFL coaching vacancies get filled, it’s fair to wonder whether Belichick will coach at all in 2024. He’s about to turn 72 years old, after all.

So, what’s going on? Why are teams so hesitant to hire the greatest coach in football history?

Multiple reports indicate franchises like the Falcons are fearful of giving too much power to Belichick, who could blow out coaching and front-office staffs and remake them as he sees fit. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer expanded on that point in a piece published Wednesday.

“I remember asking around in the fall about what the market would be for Belichick, and the answer, pretty uniformly, was that there would be a market for the greatest coach of all-time, even at 71 years old (he’ll be 72 in April),” Breer wrote. “But a lot of those takes came with a caveat: Teams would love to have Belichick as a coach, but that the trouble could be if landing him required a lot more than that.

“Would another team hand him control over the roster after how the Patriots have sputtered post–Tom Brady? Would an ownership group pledge to hand the keys to the coach, and stay out of the way? These are the sorts of questions that could shift market conditions.”

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There still is time for Belichick to get a job, even if it’s not in Atlanta. And at least one report indicates a franchise currently without a coaching vacancy is interested in pursuing Belichick.

But the clock is ticking. At this point, there appears to be a real chance that Belichick spends the 2024 season away from an NFL sideline.