Frozen out? What’s next for Belichick?
Carousels have always been a popular metaphor for the annual NFL head coaching cycle, and they tend to spin fastest between the end of the regular season and Super Bowl – 2024 being no exception despite modified rules teams had to follow when interviewing prospective candidates.
Yet musical chairs are also an apt analogy – maybe never more so than at a time when it doesn’t appear there’s going to be a seat in 2024 for Bill Belichick, 71, the man who’s won more Super Bowls than any coach in league history. That outcome became increasingly apparent Thursday, when the Atlanta Falcons – team owner Arthur Blank and his lieutenants had multiple meetings with Belichick – hired Raheem Morris instead.
Where does that leave BB? Here’s where things stand:
How many teams interviewed Bill Belichick?
He was expected to be a hot commodity after he and the New England Patriots mutually parted on Jan. 11. But the Falcons are the only team known to have interviewed Belichick since. It’s currently unclear if he wasn’t right for Atlanta, Atlanta wasn’t right for him … or maybe this was another “mutual” decision. Regardless, Belichick won’t be joining the franchise seven years after breaking its collective heart with the Pats’ legendary second-half comeback from a 28-3 deficit in Super Bowl 51. what’s going to happen a year from now is a bit of a fool’s errand, but here are eight teams sure to be under a microscope in 2024:
Arizona Cardinals
Despite a 4-13 record, rookie HC Jonathan Gannon largely kept this crew competitive as it awaited QB Kyler Murray’s midseason return from ACL reconstruction – and he likely won’t be back to 100% until next season. But if things go south in 2024, could there be outreach to Belichick from Cards GM Monti Ossenfort, who spent 15 years in the Patriots front office during BB’s reign?
Buffalo Bills
Could be a relatively easy marriage if divorce from HC Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen becomes necessary after a major regression in 2023.