Boomer Esiason, longtime New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback, says he heard from a source he trusts that Bill Belichick turned down an opportunity to coach the Atlanta Falcons.
“I was told yesterday… and I do believe it from the source I got it from… supposedly [Falcons owner] Arthur Blank was bought into Bill Belichick and could have offered him a job,” Boomer told his co-host “Boomer and Gio” co-host Gregg Giannotti
“You’re telling me that Bill said no?” Gianotti asked
“I don’t know why, again, I don’t know why guys say no, or… but, legitimately an NFL executive basically told me that they believe that Arthur Blank offered Bill the job,” Boomer claimed.
Boomer Esiason was told by an NFL executive that the Falcons offered Bill Belichick the head coach job, and Bill turned them down. pic.twitter.com/gCt2XurMt8
— Funhouse (@BackAftaThis) February 5, 2024
Belichick, the longtime New England Patriots head coach who is second all time in regular season wins and first in playoff wins, reportedly interviewed multiple times for the position that was vacated when Atlanta fired former head coach Arthur Smith.
FLOWERY BRANCH, GA – JULY 30: Head coach Arthur Smith of the Atlanta Falcons stands on the sideline during training camp at IBM Performance Field on July 30, 2021 in Flowery Branch, Georgia. Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images
Atlanta and owner Arthur Blank ultimately hired Raheem Morris, who served as the Falcons interim head coach in 2020. (RELATED: Freshly Fired Falcons Coach Arthur Smith Lands New Gig As Steelers’ Offensive Coordinator: REPORT)
Atlanta hires Morris despite bringing in Belichick for multiple interviews. While the decision to snub Belichick seemed like a headscratcher at the time, Esiason’s revelation sheds some light on how and why the two sides were unable to come together.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA – FEBRUARY 05: Raheem Morris speaks to the media after being introduced as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on February 05, 2024 in Atlanta, Georgia. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
“Now there may have been some caveats to that offer, you never know. It’s never like ‘Okay Bill, I want you, here’s a five-year contract, you do whatever you want.’ I don’t think it was one of those,” Esiason explained.
Belichick had broad control over the Patriots during his tenure in New England, serving not only as the team’s head coach but also as the official general manager, playing a role in which he essentially enjoyed full autonomy. (RELATED: Washington Huskies Hire Stephen Belichick As Defensive Coordinator: REPORT)
Esiason explained further. “The way it was made sound to me was like ‘okay, I understand your concerns but you’re gonna have to deal with some of this, and we want you to come in, we want you to be the coach,’ and then maybe he just thought better of it, and just maybe he said ‘you know what, I don’t want to go right back in. I want a year away, I want to see what happens,’ because we all know there’ll be about five or six job openings next year. And there may be a better situation where an owner says ‘You know what, I wanna go down this path with you and I want you to take my building over and I want you to run it the way that you ran it with the New England Patriots.”
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 11: Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots speaks to the media during a press conference at Gillette Stadium on January 11, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. Belichick announced he is stepping down as head coach after 24 seasons with the team. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
The explanation makes perfect sense to me. Belichick is by far the greatest coach to ever man an NFL sideline. He shouldn’t have to beg an owner for a chance to be constantly looking over his shoulder and be second-guessed at every turn. If you’re bringing in Belichick for any other reason than giving him the keys and saying “do you, Chief,” then you’re a moron.