The Atlanta Falcons have been doing their due diligence when searching for their next head coach but it seems like they are set on hiring Bill Belichick.
Owner Arthur Blank appears to be getting tired of watching a bad-to-average team over the past six seasons. And you can hardly blame him, it has been exhausting to watch.
All reports are that Blank does want Belichick to coach his talented team but, as with every coach, Belichick comes with good and bad. Here are the pros and cons of hiring one of the greatest coaches of all time.
Pro: You get a respected, proven leader
There is no winning in the NFL without a good head coach—it doesn't matter if your quarterback is Tom Brady. Fans need to realize that having a bad head coach will never lead you to a Super Bowl victory, much less six of them.
Belichick is proven. The players know that, other coaches know that, and all of America knows that.
While you do see some former players rip him, you see more who talk about the respect they have for him. There isn't a more respected head coach in the NFL.
Con: Offensive uncertainty
The Atlanta Falcons are coming off of a season where they underachieved on offense. Having Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Jonnu Smith shouldn't have resulted in the seventh-worst scoring offense.
Bringing in Belichick means that you are bringing in a head coach who just watched his offense tie with the Carolina Panthers for the fewest points per game in 2023. That is not a good sign.
There is no doubt about it, Belichick's offenses since Tom Brady left have been quite abysmal. While many other factors played into it, some blame should land on Belichick's shoulders—especially since he was the general manager.
Pro: Defensive mastermind
Bill Belichick coached the New England Patriots for 24 seasons and the lowest his defense has ever ranked in points allowed per game is 17th which happened in 2000, 2002, and 2005.
When you dive in deeper, his teams have been top ten in points allowed in 18 of his 24 seasons and have been top five nine times. That is remarkable. For reference, the Falcons have been top ten only four times during that same period.
When you hire Belichick, you guarantee that you will have a good defense. No coach in the NFL schemes up a better, more adaptable defense than Belichick. It is something you can count on.
Con: Short-term answer
There is no avoiding the fact that Bill Belichick is getting up there in age and considering how stressful being a head coach in the NFL is, it isn't like he can continue doing this forever.
Belichick will be 72 years old by the time the season starts and the oldest head coach in NFL history was Romeo Crennel who was the Houston Texans' interim head coach for part of a season. Age is undefeated.
Hiring Belichick means you should expect to be back in this situation two to four years from now. Bringing in a coach who could be his successor would be extremely important to the franchise's long-term health.
Pro: Potential for immediate success
Most teams in the NFL hire coaches who have no head coaching experience and that usually results in mediocrity for a couple pf seasons. New coaches have to figure out how they want to run and construct a new team.
With a coach like Belichick, you presumably won't have to worry about that. He has his schedule for the team down to a science which would allow this Falcons team to get right to work.
Not to mention, Belichick knows how to manage a game, how to make in-game adjustments, and how to win. The is a ton of value in hiring a coach who has 29 seasons of head coaching experience.
Con: Potential power struggle
Following the firing of Arthur Smith, we learned that the Atlanta Falcons' pyramid of power has been set up uniquely. For the past few years, head coach Arthur Smith and general manager Terry Fontenot had been reporting to CEO Rich McKay.
Meanwhile, the New England Patriots have not had a "general manager" since before 1993. Belichick spent his entire 24-year tenure as the Patriots head coach as the final decision-maker for the organization.
These are two different philosophies and it is sounding like Belichick will be the one who has to cater to the Falcons. Could this become a problem at some point? Possibly, but it is hard to say for sure.