For the first time in nearly 50 years, Bill Belichick won’t be coaching football this fall. That was not his intention.
The future Hall of Famer’s departure from the New England Patriots was supposed to make him one of the hottest candidates on the 2024 head coach market. For a moment, it looked like he’d take the helm of the team he’d once famously rallied against in Super Bowl 51, the Atlanta Falcons.
That deal fell apart, leaving questions as to why a coach with eight Super Bowl rings could spent the season in a broadcast booth instead of on the sideline. ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., Seth Wickersham and Jeremy Fowler dug in to find out the truth and uncovered a Falcons team concerned about “an older, stoic coach who’d blow up the building.” They also gleaned new details about Belichick’s rift with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who reportedly lost faith and trust in the man who’d transformed one of the NFL’s most forlorn franchises.
You can read the whole story here — and you absolutely should. Here are some of the key takeaways.
Feb 5, 2017; Houston, TX, USA; New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reacts after defeating the Atlanta Falcons during Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. The Patriots won 34-28. Mandatory Credit: Dan Powers-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-348602 ORIG FILE ID: 20170205_sal_usa_363.JPG
The signs were there. Belichick had met with Falcons owner Arthur Blank multiple times, including on the billionaire’s superyacht. The meticulous head coach was willing to give up the control he’d held in Foxborough to coexist in a coach-general manager power share. From Van Natta Jr., Wickersham and Fowler:
He assured Blank that he wasn’t seeking the total control he had for most of his 24 seasons in New England. He pledged to work with the team’s existing group of decision-makers, including general manager Terry Fontenot. Belichick also knew that Blank had checked his references with a group that included Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his son, Jonathan.
Instead, Atlanta pulled off a mild surprise and opted to pull Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris into the spotlight.
Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots looks on during the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Blank’s team of executives voted on their next head coach via a ranked voting system. Belichick wasn’t at the top of anyone’s list.
Blank always spoke respectfully about the coach with nearly a half-century of experience. “A living legend,” Blank called him.
What Blank didn’t say is that he and his top lieutenants had voted on the team’s next head coach, ranking each candidate.
Bill Belichick didn’t even finish in anyone’s top three.
One of ESPN’s sources for the story invoked long-running CBS show Survivor to explain Belichick’s plight. “He was essentially voted off the island.”
Aug 30, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham (13) greets New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick after their game at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Belichick is expected to spend 2024 working as an analyst for Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions. He’s targeted a 2025 return to the sideline, with three teams in mind — a familiar spot in northern New Jersey and two high-profile NFC teams.
He is believed to be biding his time until next January for openings on teams he has told confidants he would be interested in coaching: the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants.
Oct 15, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni coaches against the New York Jets during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia’s spiral to finish 2023 led to a warming glow under head coach Nick Sirianni’s seat. But the 2022 NFC champion wasn’t going anywhere.
Roseman told ESPN he had a conversation with Belichick, a check-in to see how the coach was doing after he was out in New England. A source close to Belichick confirmed there was no talk during the call about working for the Eagles.
Ultimately, there were too many unknowns about Belichick, including his future at age 71 and what a succession plan would look like after so many branches of his coaching tree had withered into losses and bad draft picks.
February 20, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; NBA great Magic Johnson is honored for being selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team during halftime in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: IMAGN-481781 ORIG FILE ID: 20220423_kkt_st3_751.jpg
Josh Harris, majority owner of the Commanders, did not.
However, principal owner Josh Harris, who had spoken privately with Kraft about Belichick, told confidants in early December that he respected Belichick but wasn’t going to hire him. He wanted the same leadership structure he has with the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils: a strong general manager over a head coach. Harris’ hiring of the 44-year-old Peters as GM before he looked for a coach was a big tell that Belichick was not a fit, a decision that Johnson endorsed. A source close to Belichick said the coach had questions about working in a strong-GM system.
FILE – FEBRUARY 22, 2019: It was reported that New England Patriots Owner Robert Kraft is being charged with soliciting another to commit prostitution in Florida February 22, 2019. HOUSTON, TX – FEBRUARY 01: Robert Kraft, owner and CEO of the New England Patriots, attends NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s press conference at the George R. Brown Co