Atlanta Falcons complete second interview with Bill Belichick

The Atlanta Falcons completed their second interview with Bill Belichick for their head coaching position. The team announced the news on Friday evening via their Twitter page. Belichick and the New England Patriots recently decided to part ways, in an agreeable split for both parties.

According to NFL insider Adam Schefter, the 71-year-old coach wants to continue working and there are teams that will have high interest in the Super Bowl-winning skipper.

The Atlanta Falcons are at the top of the list after moving on from head coach Arthur Smith. Schefter cited team owner Arthur Blank’s history of taking big swings for other hall-of-fame-type coaches, such as Bill Parcells.

“If we think of Arthur Blank in his later years, desperately wanting to win while he can. There aren’t many coaches that have swung harder. He has taken some big swings at other high-profile head coaches in the past,” Schefter shared on Thursday morning. “Blank once pursued, but didn’t land, Joe Gibbs. He once pursued, but didn’t land, Bill Parcells. Now the Falcons have a head coach opening, and Bill Belichick is a free agent.”

He certainly has no shortage of options in the National Football League. The Falcons, Chargers, Panthers, Seahawks, Titans, Commanders and Raiders are all moving on to new head coaches this offseason. On Friday evening, the Raiders officially named Antonio Pierce as their new head coach.

The Falcons have scheduled more interviews next week with Jim Harbaugh and Mike Vrabel.

Belichick era coming to a close in Foxborough

During his stint as Patriots head coach, Belichick won six Super Bowl titles and developed numerous All-Pros, including, most famously, quarterback Tom Brady. He headed the organization for 24 years.

The Belichick-Brady duo became the face of the NFL for multiple decades as they routinely finished atop the AFC East and made deep runs into the playoffs.

But Bill Belichick’s success with the organization began to decline when Brady left following the 2019 season. The QB, meanwhile, would go on to win a Super Bowl with his new team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

New England went 7-9 the season after Brady departed with Cam Newton at QB, then managed to improve to 10-7 the following year in 2021, which was Mac Jones’ first season. But neither season included an AFC East title and 2021’s playoff appearance ended in an exit in the Wild Card round.

Then the wheels began to fall off. New England went 8-9 in 2022 but finished just 4-13 in 2023.

On3’s Thomas Goldkamp and Nikki Chavanelle also contributed to this article.