Bill Belichick failed to find a job ‘after New England owner Robert Kraft warned rivals not to trust him’: Billionaire was a ‘big part’ of why Six-time Super Bowl champion not hired by Falcons, source says

Was it bad credentials that kept six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick from getting another job this offseason? And has New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft warned rivals not to trust the man who guided his team to nine AFC titles?

That’s the gist of Wednesday’s ESPN report, which goes on to claim that Kraft talked Blank out of hiring Belichick even though the Falcons owner considered him a “living legend.”

Multiple sources spoke to the World Wide Leader about Kraft’s relationship with Belichick and how it may have impacted the former Patriots coach’s 2024 job search.

Belichick agreed to leave New England after the team’s 4-13 performance in 2023 – his 24th year at the helm. But even before his departure, relations between Belichick and Kraft appeared strained, although the two appeared friendly during the coach’s outgoing press conference in February.

But when Blank came to talk to him about Belichick, Kraft didn’t say a good word for his former employee, according to a source, who says the billionaire “played a significant role” in the failed job search. coach.

Jim Nantz interviews Tom Brady as Robert Kraft (far left) and Bill Belichick look on in 2017

A source claims Kraft told Blank that “you’ll never have a warm conversation with” Belichick, which was a major problem for an owner who likes to create a family atmosphere, according to the report. Blank ultimately hired Raheem Morris at the request of several team officials.

There was one potential problem with Belichick in Atlanta: his history as the de facto general manager of the Patriots – something that has become rare.

But according to ESPN, Belichick “pledged his willingness to coexist with Falcons leadership” when he spoke to Blank.

As ESPN reports, Belichick’s friction with Kraft was no secret in the NFL, where the two became synonymous with Tom Brady’s illustrious career.

Another issue Belichick faces is his age and his desire to continue coaching. The 72-year-old is just 15 wins away from passing Don Shula for the NFL’s all-time record, and ESPN says there’s a belief around the league that he’ll only coach long enough to do it before retiring.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank talks with Patriots owner Robert Kraft before a 2021 game

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie wasn’t necessarily looking to fire head coach Nick Sirianni, but he still asked a confidant if it was worth inquiring about Belichick.

Then he had doubts.

“You’ll have to start again,” the source told ESPN. “Who would replace him? He hasn’t had a good track record when it comes to coaching development. They were afraid that he would change everything and everyone, and that (then) you would start from scratch. He didn’t demand these changes, but they felt like if we hired him, we had to give him everything and trust him in the way he does it.

Ultimately, no team thought it was worth calling on Belichick in 2024.