Cowboys legend Michael Irvin plays blame game as Bill Belichick misses out on Falcons job
The Atlanta Falcons turned away Bill Belichick in their search for a new head coach. They decided to hire Raheem Morris instead of arguably the greatest head coach in NFL history. Belichick appeared to truly desire the position, as he reportedly has yet to be officially interviewed by any other team so far.
At one point, it seemed as though Belichick was nearly a lock to end up in Atlanta, especially after he was the first candidate to receive a second interview for their vacancy. That's not how things played out in the end.
Former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver and current NFL analyst Michael Irvin apparently took issue with how the whole situation went down with Belichick and the Falcons. He discussed it during a recent Undisputed episode.
Irvin explained:
"I'm a little confused. I'm blown away that you come to a conclusion like that with Bill Belichick, with the lack of success that most of these places have had. Well, we want control still, and we don't want to listen to him totally. Are you joking? He's the most successful dude that did it."
"I just don't like the way his people have handled all of this. I wouldn't have been putting Bill out there, going on all of those sites, going on interviews. I just think it's a bad look, and his people failed him in this situation."
Irvin pointed out that he considers Belichick to be the greatest head coach of all time. This isn't a bold take, considering he won six Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots, the most in NFL history.
He also used this as his reasoning for being baffled as to why the Falcons, who have never won a Super Bowl in their franchise history, would pass on the opportunity to land Belichick.
It has been rumored that their decision to do so likely came from the front office, not Arthur Blank. They allegedly convinced the owner to go in a different direction to essentially save their own jobs.
Bill Belichick had total control over roster and personnel decisions with the Patriots, serving as both head coach and general manager. It is assumed he would want the same role with his next team, and apparently, the Falcons weren't willing to give it to him.
Where will Bill Belichick coach next year?
The 2024 NFL head coaching cycle has seemingly almost concluded. The Washington Commanders and Seattle Seahawks are the only two teams with a current vacancy.
While Belichick could fill one of those jobs, rumors have been circling that he could potentially join the Kansas City Chiefs if Andy Reid retires. If he doesn't get any of these three positions, he may have to sit out the 2024 NFL season and wait until next year to find a new team.