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Bill Belichick looks as though he won’t be out of work for long after leaving the New England Patriots. The NFC South increasingly looks like the six-time Super Bowl winner’s next destination, with a second interview set with the Atlanta Falcons.
Belichick will meet the Falcons again “this weekend,” according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
The Falcons have already conducted one interview with Belichick. Even one of the 71-year-old’s best former players believes Atlanta will be Belichick’s next destination.
Falcons Hiring Belichick Chatter Getting Louder
The Falcons have been known to hold “strong interest” in Belichick for a while. It’s an idea endorsed by one of the coach’s greatest finds, Rob Gronkowski.
A three-time Super Bowl winner with the Patriots, Gronkowski told Fox Sports: NFL, “I’ve been hearing on the streets the Atlanta Falcons are coming in hot for Coach Belichick.”
It makes sense for Belichick to be open to a move to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Playing in the NFC South means a legitimate chance to dominate arguably the weakest division in the NFL, the way Belichick’s Patriots dominated a flat AFC East for years.
The Falcons have plenty of pieces Belichick can use to make a fast start to life in a new home. Pieces like bruising running backs Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson. There’s also roving tight end Kyle Pitts and towering wide receiver Drake London.
Each of those skill players will suit a coach who still prefers a throwback, physical and run-first offense. Belichick would also warm to a defense ranked 11th in yards allowed this season, per Pro Football Reference.
The cupboard is hardly bare in Atlanta, but there are still holes on the roster. None more so than at quarterback where Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke split time in 2023.
There’s more than a little irony here. Belichick couldn’t fix the quarterback position in New England after Tom Brady left for the NFC South and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020.
It’s the main the reason the Patriots are starting over without the most decorated head coach of football’s modern era.
Patriots, Jerod Mayo Charting New Course Without Belichick
Rebuilding from this season’s 4-11 disaster won’t be easy for Belichick’s replacement, Jerod Mayo. It might help the latter to create a looser, more upbeat atmosphere around Gillette Stadium.
Belichick was notoriously gruff and rigid, but Mayo struck a more light-hearted tone during his introductory press conference on Wednesday, January 16. That even included the former inside linebackers coach making a joke at Belichick’s expense.
When asked why he briefly swapped football for business, Mayo quipped, “I needed a break from Bill.” The jape caught the eye of team owner Robert Kraft, according to MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels.
Interestingly, Mayo also made clear he wants his players to think more freely: “I don’t want to teach them what to think, I want to teach them how to think.”
All signs point toward a more relaxed atmosphere around the Patriots. Yet, whether that translates to wins will still depend on how Mayo solves the quarterback problem Belichick left behind.
The new coach can’t rely on Mac Jones, nor Bailey Zappe. It leaves the Patriots having to decide whether or not to use the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on a new passer. Even if they do, the Pats might also need some veteran insurance, like a nine-time Pro Bowl “bridge” quarterback.
Mayo likely faces some rough days before engineering a turnaround in New England. By contrast, Belichick could be a winner again right away if he lands with the Falcons.
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