NFL Rumors: Bill Belichick ‘Insisted’ This During Falcons Interviews

The Atlanta Falcons hired Raheem Morris as their new head coach in January, surprising many as they passed up on former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and his decades-long run of success.

It’s all starting to make sense, though.

ESPN on Wednesday dropped quite the bombshell, detailing Belichick’s “failed job hunt” where he ultimately was passed over by the Falcons. It had a lot to do with how his relationship with Patriots owner Robert Kraft reportedly soured but also detailed the Falcons’ pause in potentially hiring the 72-year-old.

It’s pretty clear in the excerpt below that, despite Belichick believing he could adapt to working with executives, Atlanta believed he wouldn’t truly be able to fall in line.

From ESPN:

Belichick was aware that his head coach/GM hybrid had fallen out of favor around the league, sources said. A year ago, Belichick had drinks with another head coach. Over cocktails, Belichick told the coach that perhaps there was a better way than the way Belichick had been doing things for nearly a quarter-century.

And in the pair of interviews with Blank and Falcons executives, sources said, Belichick pledged his willingness to co-exist with Falcons executives under this new paradigm. In fact, he insisted he just wants to coach. But the Falcons realized that if you hire Bill Belichick, you hire all of him, an entire philosophy and ethos stemming from one man’s ethic and ingenuity, sources said.

The Falcons believed a senior citizen might just be stuck in his ways. Is anyone stopping the presses over that? Belichick, of course, is the greatest coach of all time, but if he’s going to come into an organization and make fundamental changes before leaving two-to-three years later, is it worth the trouble?

Atlanta didn’t seem to think so.