Bill Belichick to the Falcons seemed like a certainty, but a report from The Athletic on Tuesday created some doubt.
Atlanta reportedly views the former New England Patriots head coach as a "top candidate," especially after Belichick had two meetings with Arthur Blank and had a second interview with the team.
However, the 71-year-old's candidacy for the job has "lost momentum this past week," according to The Athletic's Josh Kendall. Sources also told The Athletic "that assuming it's Belichick or bust" is inaccurate.
"Not suggesting it won't happen, just that there are other outcomes possible," Kendall wrote on X.
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The report came the same week NBC Sports' Peter King questioned if Belichick would even get a job this offseason, especially with Atlanta being the only known team to have interviewed him.
The Falcons have interviewed multiple candidates for the head coaching position, including Mike Vrabel and Jim Harbaugh. There might be more candidates they interview, according to Kendall. It could be a case of Atlanta looking at all its options or Belichick trying to drive a higher price for his next position. He reportedly wants to bring in familiar faces like Matt Patricia and Joe Judge with him, which might have been discussed during the two interviews.
As Kendall noted, Belichick still might sign with the Falcons, but he's clearly not as much of a shoo-in as once believed.
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