Following his departure from the New England Patriots, there seemed to be little doubt that given the amount of openings that were continuing to become available around the NFL, Bill Belichick would be on someone’s sideline in 2024. The only question would just be where he’d end up.
Fast-forward to two weeks later, and many of those doors have closed. To make matters worse for the future Hall of Fame coach, the one that appeared to be his most likely landing spot no longer seems to be a definite, either.
Belichick has reportedly met twice with Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, which appeared to signal that it was only a matter of time before the former Patriots coach took his talents to Georgia ahead of the 2024 season.
However, despite those meetings, the Falcons have continued interviewing head coach candidates amid rumors that there’s been pushback from the front office about hiring the 71-year-old coach, who will be 72 by the time things kick off next September.
According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Atlanta has interviewed a total of 14 candidates, with one of the most notable available coaches still on deck. The club is reportedly set to interview former Titans coach Mike Vrabel later this week, and it’s possible the former Patriots tight end could be the guy to block his former coach from what appears to be his one opportunity to continue coaching.
Of the available candidates, Vrabel’s age and resume make him one of the most attractive candidates still available. His style and demeanor are similar to Belichick’s and the fact that he’s significantly younger will also likely work in his favor.
If that happens and Vrabel ends up slightly southeast from where he’s spent the last six years, it could leave Belichick on the outside looking in on a league he’s been coaching in every year since 1975.
The fact Belichick hasn’t garnered a bit more interest is surprising. For any team watching what’s transpired so far through both the Wild Card and Divisional rounds, it was a reminder of just how important having someone like him on a team’s sideline may have been in these postseason match-ups.
Say what you want about him, but he’s absolutely a guy who likely would have been a difference-maker in a few of the close games we watched go wrong for teams these last few weeks.
While his team-building on offense from a personnel standpoint was an issue, you can’t deny that between the lines on Sundays, he’s absolutely one of the best.
In the meantime, Kendall adds that what had seemed to be a likely landing spot in Atlanta has “lost momentum,” which could mean that seeing Belichick out there in 2024 is starting to look less and less likely with each passing day.
Belichick’s watched many players he released end up having a tough time continuing their careers after they left New England. After what’s taken place so far, it’s probably safe to say he likely didn’t expect to be one of them.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
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