Is HC interest not mutual between Falcons, Bill Belichick?

The Atlanta Falcons are showing the most interest in former longtime Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, with the two sides now having met twice over the team’s head coaching vacancy. The lingering question is whether Belichick is as interested in the Falcons as they are in him.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank “desperately” wants to hire Belichick, and the job is Belichick’s if he wants it, a source told Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports. However, Belichick’s odds of taking the job were characterized as “50/50.”

Other sources disputed to Jones that the search is a foregone conclusion, arguing that the Falcons will be thorough. There are also questions about whether Belichick would be comfortable working under the Falcons’ front office as it is currently structured.

The Falcons have interviewed at least one other high-profile candidate for the job. They also have yet to conduct any interviews that would bring them into compliance with the Rooney Rule.

The Falcons might represent Belichick’s best chance of landing a job in 2024. The six-time Super Bowl champion has earned the right to be picky, and even if the Falcons want to hire him, it may not be the right fit for him.