The Atlanta Falcons 2024 offseason is defined by signing Kirk Cousins and drafting Michael Penix Jr. shortly after without warning the veteran quarterback. That is the defining move every pundit and fan remembers. However, rewinding a bit further back the Falcons were in the thick of a head coaching search after firing Arthur Smith.
It seemed Arthur Blank had made his decision zeroing in on former New England Patriots head coach and NFL legend Bill Belichick. The move caught a lot of heat as Atlanta fans looked at what the coach and GM had done to the New England roster. It appeared his talent evaluation had been extremely poor dating back to Tom Brady's final seasons. What reason did the Falcons have to believe things would change in Atlanta? The head coach would need to have control of the team and take over decision-making.
The Atlanta Falcons couldn't be any worse if they hired former Patriot Bill Belichick
Answering whether or not the Falcons made a mistake not hiring the aging head coach isn't a fair comparison. It simply deals in hypotheticals that cannot be answered despite the frustration with Raheem Morris. However, what is fair to point out is that their drafting and talent evaluation couldn't have gotten any worse.
Whoever they landed on at quarterback couldn't have played out any worse than it currently is. There is the upside as well of mentioning the fact the Falcons would be a far less sloppy team under the NFL legend. Bill's ability to turn the clock back and take control of the smallest details are what defined his time in New England and allowed Brady and the Patriots to consistently be in the championship picture.
Answering how things might look for Atlanta if they had hired Belichick is impossible. However, it is fair to say they simply couldn't be any worse. With how the Falcons have rushed the passer, drafted, and managed the quarterback position they are already in the basement of coaching and management.
Raheem Morris hasn't had an answer for any of Atlanta's issues and offers little criticism of his players. It is this unwavering support for Kirk Cousins that has patience wearing thin for Atlanta fans and looking back wondering if they did make the right choice.
An unanswerable question for a team that always finds a way to invent chaos. Even in a season where they started 6-3 and had the division in their grasp now appears to be out of control. Leaving the question mark of whether or not Morris is the right leader for this team and whether or not they should have gone in another direction?