The Atlanta Falcons’ decision to pass on Bill Belichick came as a surprise to many. Although the HC faced a decline in his coaching prowess in recent years, he is still known as one of the best coaches in the league. However, the Falcons still didn’t sign him and reportedly Robert Kraft, the Patriots owner, is responsible for the team passing on the HC.
ESPN reported that Robert Kraft told Falcons owner Arthur Blank that Bill Belichick is not the coach to trust. Kraft said that if he was to sign a coach, he was “not to trust Bill.” Kraft also told the Falcons owner that he’d never have a warm conversation with Belichick as he felt “betrayed” by him.
Additionally, Robert Kraft said that he believed Belichick was extremely difficult to work with and that the coach was ‘kind of stubborn’ as well as being ‘very arrogant’ as he viewed the coach unworthy of his trust.
After this news went viral, Patriots spokesperson Stacey James denied all these rumors clearing Kraft’s name by stating that he might have said these things about Bill Belichick but that was not during the Falcons hiring process. He added that Kraft even tried to help Belichick get a job.
“Robert steadfastly denies saying anything negative to Arthur Blank about Bill Belichick after Robert and Bill mutually agreed to part ways,” James told ESPN. “In fact, Robert advocated for Bill to get the job.”
But in the end, Bill Belichick didn’t get the job. Despite the strong possibility of the Falcons signing the HC, the outcome was nothing, and the reason could be the deteriorating relationship of the HC with Kraft.
Why did Bill Belichick’s relationship with Robert Kraft worsen?
Bill Belichick had a longstanding relationship with Robert Kraft. During his 24-year tenure as head coach, Belichick helped the Patriots win multiple Super Bowls, establishing them as one of the NFL’s premier teams.
However, after the departure of Tom Brady, the team’s performance started to decline to the extent that last year the team ended with the worst season record in franchise history.
Therefore, Robert Kraft decided to let go of Bill Belichick and sign a new coach. Three months ago, Kraft and Belichick mutually agreed to part ways following a disappointing season. But it came as a surprise to many that after making Bill Belichick jobless, now Kraft is also preventing him from getting new opportunities.
Meanwhile, Bill Belichick’s future in the league remains uncertain, with reports suggesting his interest in both coaching and television analyst roles.
