Ryan Clark says Bill Belichick and Justin Fields would be a great match in Atlanta

ESPN analyst Ryan Clark recently made waves by suggesting that Bill Belichick and quarterback Justin Fields would be a great match together in Atlanta.

Bill Belichick is looking for a new team now that he and the New England Patriots parted ways. One of the teams in the mix is the Atlanta Falcons, where he recently interviewed. One problem with Atlanta is that the team doesn’t have a franchise quarterback, though. That’s where Justin Fields comes into play.

“I could see that being a match in Atlanta that would work not only for a coach,” Ryan Clark said, “but also a player.”

Justin Fields was a first round pick of the Chicago Bears in 2021, but the Bears have failed to put a talented roster around him and put him in a position to succeed. Amid his own inconsistency, Chicago could make a decision to move on from him. If that is the case, at the age of 24, Fields would want to hit the reset button.

Atlanta, for whatever faults the franchise has had in recent seasons, has worked hard to add talent at the offensive skill positions.

Ryan Clark also pointed out that Bill Belichick got to see what Justin Fields is capable of doing up close and personal. During an October 2022 game, the Bears went into New England and won, largely on the back of Fields’ performance. He had 179 yards passing, a passing touchdown, 82 yards rushing, and a rushing touchdown in that game.

“Justin Fields played absolutely out of his mind against Bill Belichick last year,” Clark said.

So, for Clark at least, this pairing in a new location has the potential to make a lot of sense and help both player and coach moving forward.

Former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan weighs in on Atlanta’s potential interest in Bill Belichick

Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan recently shared his thoughts on the team potentially bringing in Bill Belichick as head coach.

“Here’s the thing, there’s a lot of baggage that comes with that because of the Super Bowl. It’s an awkward thing. But if you look at the organization, the owner, Arthur Blank, getting older and anxious to win right now. And you look at the roster… they’re built to win right now. The defense plays good football, they’ve got an excellent offensive line, and good skill positions, but they’ve got to figure out the quarterback,” Ryan said.

“I think Bill Belichick makes sense if they get a veteran guy. If you’re drafting young, then you go with a younger coach, someone who’s going to be there longer. But if you’re getting a veteran guy, then I think he makes sense in Atlanta.”