It seemed like a foregone conclusion last week that Bill Belichick would be the next head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, but a new report on Tuesday appears to have diminished that possibility.
Atlanta appears to be going through a thorough process. The team interviewed Belichick for a second time last week, but he was just one of 13 coaches interviewed so far.
The concept of “Belichick or bust” is an inaccurate assumption, The Athletic reported. Additionally, Belichick's road to Atlanta reportedly “lost momentum.”
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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the 2017 AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Gillette Stadium on January 22, 2017 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports)
On Sunday, the Falcons announced they interviewed Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson for the position.
Other candidates include Ravens defensive coordinator Mike McDonald, Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan, 49ers defensive coordinator Steve Wilkes, Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, and Ravens assistant head coach/defense. That includes line coach Anthony Weaver, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson and the Lions' defense. Coordinator Aaron Glenn, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Bills interim offensive coordinator Joe Brady and Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
It's unclear when the Falcons will make a final decision.
Rob Gronkowski told Fox News Digital why the Falcons are an attractive team for Belichick.
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New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick before Super Bowl LI vs. the Atlanta Falcons on February 5, 2017 at NRG Stadium in Houston. (Mark J. Revillas-USA TODAY Sports)
“What makes the Falcons a great place for Coach Belichick is that the Falcons are an underachieving team with a lot of talent, and Coach Belichick has figured out how to bring out underachieving talent and maximize that talent. Because I know,” Gronkowski told FOX News Digital.
“I'm sure they have the salary cap room to bring in some players. They have about five first-round draft picks on offense, like they've had the last five years. .They have a lot of talent.''
“He's going to come in there. He's going to know how to utilize all of that talent. Also, they have a pretty solid defense and obviously he's going to upgrade that even more. Plus, they love to run.''And he's a guy who loves running the ball and stuffing it down their throats as a coach.''
Atlanta has offensive weapons. Bijan Robinson, Kyle Pitts, and Drake London proved that. The jury is still out on whether Desmond Ridder can be the quarterback of the future.
New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick during the Super Bowl LI opener at Minute Maid Park on January 30, 2017 in Houston. (Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Sports)
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The Falcons ranked 26th in scoring and 17th in receiving yards in 2023.
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