Atlanta Falcons: Timetable on potential Eric Bieniemy hire
Timetable for when we could see Atlanta Falcons hire a head coach
The latest report for the Atlanta Falcons is that owner Arthur Blank is pushing for a duo hiring that would bring coveted head coaching prospect Eric Bieniemy to Atlanta.
Ever since the Atlanta Falcons fired Dan Quinn, Bieniemy has been at the top of the list for potential replacement candidates.
According to ProFootballNetwork’s Tony Pauline, Blank is pushing to bring in Bieniemy as the head coach and former Kansas City Chiefs & Cleveland Browns GM John Dorsey in as the general manager.
That report, obviously, has brought some excitement to the Falcons fan base hoping to rise from the ashes and become a playoff contender at some point in the near future.
However- even if the report is true- Atlanta Falcons fans shouldn’t expect any agreements for quite some time
There is a misconception among some that the Falcons could potentially already be talking to Bieniemy, but that’s not the case.
The franchise is looking to bring in a general manager right now and they’re gauging interest for potential candidates at both positions. However, there won’t be any major moves until at least the 2020 season comes to an end.
According to CBS Sports’ NFL insider notes, the league informed teams this week that they cannot hold in-person interviews for GM or head coaching positions until after the regular season has finished. If a candidate is in the playoffs, they cannot interview in-person until after that team’s run in the postseason has been completed.
For Bieniemy, that could very well not be until February.
It’s not to say that the Falcons couldn’t make a hire based off a remote interview, but it is to say that the timeline is not likely to be quite as quick as some fans might’ve hoped when they originally read that report.
Look for the franchise to continue to weigh its option, host interviews when the time is right and likely to iron some decisions shortly after the regular season comes to an end.
If the Bieniemy-Dorsey report is true, we’d likely see Dorsey begin work shortly after the regular season and we would see Bieniemy not join the organization until the Chiefs’ run comes to a close, which could be just months before the NFL Draft begins.