Reportedly, Robert Kraft cautioned the Falcons against placing trust in Bill Belichick.
The Atlanta Falcons surprised many by choosing not to hire Bill Belichick as their coach during the hiring cycle, and it appears that his former employer may have influenced this decision.
A ccording to ESPN, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft advised Falcons owner Arthur Blank against hiring Belichick, expressing a lack of trust in him. Kraft reportedly felt “betrayed” by Belichick dNew England Patriots uring the final seasons of his 24-year tenure with the Patriots and described him as “extremely difficult” and “kind of stubborn,” with an attitude of arrogance that made him “not worthy of his trust.”
Although a Patriots spokesperson denied that Kraft spoke negatively about Belichick during the Falcons’ hiring process, it’s suggested that such sentiments might have been expressed prior to this. The spokesperson clarified that Kraft had actually advocated for Belichick to get the job.
The ESPN report follows Kraft and Belichick’s mutual decision to part ways after a challenging season, marking the end of an illustrious era in NFL history. It also coincides with the release of the Apple TV+ docuseries “The Dynasty,” which has faced criticism for its portrayal of Belichick from former players. In the series, Kraft admitted to facing challenges with Belichick, particularly during Tom Brady’s final years with the team, stating, “To be honest, my head coach is a pain in the tush. But I was willing to put up with it — as long as we won.”
Why Bill Belichick is portrayed as the antagonist in ‘Dynasty’
Regarding whether Kraft’s reported remarks influenced Belichick’s failure to secure the Falcons job, a source close to the head coach indicated that the Patriots owner played a significant role in that outcome, as per ESPN. However, Falcons general manager Terry Fontenot and CEO Rich McKay were hesitant to collaborate with Belichick due to concerns about the extent of his control over the team, ESPN noted.
Ultimately, the Falcons selected Raheem Morris as their head coach after conducting interviews with an extensive list of 14 candidates. Morris, the former defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, was unanimously chosen as the preferred candidate to fill the head coach vacancy, ESPN reported.
Belichick’s future in football remains uncertain. While he has reportedly expressed interest in a television analyst role, he also harbors a desire to continue coaching, especially considering he is just 15 wins away from surpassing Don Shula’s record for the most wins in NFL history. According to ESPN, Belichick has mentioned the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Giants as teams he is interested in coaching.
Belichick rose to prominence during his tenure as a defensive coordinator with the Giants, contributing to the team’s two Super Bowl victories under Bill Parcells in 1986 and 1990. Additionally, he shares a friendship with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, and Eagles general manager Howie Roseman reached out to him following his departure from New England, ESPN reported.
All three aforementioned teams could potentially have head coach vacancies in the upcoming offseason. While Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni managed to avoid speculation about their job security despite disappointing seasons, Giants coach Brian Daboll had a lackluster second year.
However, considering that Belichick will be 73 years old at the commencement of the 2025 NFL season, the Falcons were the sole team he interviewed with after departing from the Patriots.
