After leaving the New England Patriots, what’s next for Bill Belichick?
That’s been one of the most pressing NFL questions since Belichick’s Foxboro, Mass., departure two weeks ago, and it seems like even the most plugged-in league insiders aren’t sure which way the answer is trending. There was a ton of steam on the Belichick-Falcons front in the days after the legendary coach’s Patriots exit, but it appears things have cooled off a bit in Atlanta. In fact, Belichick might no longer be the front-runner to replace Arthur Smith.
With the coaching landscape no longer terribly favorable, NFL insider Dan Graziano asked his ESPN colleague Jeremy Fowler if there’s a possibility we’ve already seen the last of Belichick in the league. Fowler indicated that scenario is on the table, as the legend might not have multiple options this offseason.
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“There’s always next year’s cycle, too, if he doesn’t strike a deal with Atlanta,” Fowler wrote in a column published Thursday. “To your point, I haven’t spoken to one person who says Belichick has something else brewing. If the Dallas job opened (a moot point now), then I think Belichick would have met with the Jones family. I’m not sure Philly would have been viable for him.”
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Fowler’s read on the situation counters a recent report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, who claimed Belichick’s market is more robust than it seems. Florio even reported a team that doesn’t currently have a head coach vacancy has shown some interest in the future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
At this point, it’s anyone’s guess what the future holds for Belichick. But given the way the coaching carousel typically moves, the verdict probably isn’t very far away.
Featured image via Stephen R. Sylvanie/USA TODAY Sports Images
