Falcons Owner Shuts Down Theory About Bill Belichick’s Candidacy

Contrary to popular belief, Bill Belichick apparently wasn’t hell-bent on calling all of the shots for the Falcons.

When Belichick entered the NFL coaching job market, most assumed interested teams would have to be willing to give the keys of the franchise to the future Pro Football Hall of Famer. After all, Belichick had carte blanche in New England for over a decade and an unwillingness to relinquish any of that power might’ve been part of the reason why he left the Patriots.

But across two interviews in Atlanta, Belichick never requested complete control. Team owner Arthur Blank made as much clear while speaking with the media Friday.

“I do want to make it 1,000% clear, want to go to 2,000% or 100,000, whatever percent you want to use. Bill Belichick never asked for, in our discussion, full control of the personnel or the building or anything of that nature,” Blank told reporters, per ESPN.

“He was very inclusive, very collaborative. He met Terry Fontenot, checked out our people doing his own references, sent me a private text, which I eventually shared with Terry that he’d be happy working with him.”

So, why did the Falcons ultimately choose Raheem Morris over Belichick? Blank reportedly wasn’t “comfortable” with how Belichick might’ve wanted to set up certain things if hired, and the latter’s “frosty” relationship with team president Rich McKay apparently didn’t help the situation either.

Time will tell if Atlanta made the right decision to pass on the greatest football coach of all time, who could be in high demand next year.