Saints could potentially see a lot more of Bill Belichick
Bill Belichick is done with the New England Patriots, and the New Orleans Saints could be seeing more of him. The GOATed coach is linked to a Saints rival.
Two division rivals of the New Orleans Saints currently have head coaching vacancies. They are the Atlanta Falcons and the Carolina Panthers. Now, much to the shock of the NFL world, the New England Patriots have a vacancy as well. Sure, the writing has been on the wall for a while now when it comes to a Bill Belichick-New England Patriots divorce, but the fact that it actually happened is no less stunning. Naturally, the attention is turning to where Belichick will land next, and if reports are to be believed, then Saints fans could be getting VERY familiar with him sooner rather than later.
Reports are already dripping out as to what teams could hold interest, with the two NFC South teams with vacant positions connected. However, one appears more strongly linked than the other.
Bill Belichick will want to continue coaching and is expected to draw interest from at least some of the other seven NFL teams that currently have head coach vacancies, quite possibly the Atlanta Falcons, per league sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2024
Falcons owner Arthur Blank has taken some big swings at other high-profile head coaches in the past.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2024
Blank once pursued, but didn’t land, Joe Gibbs.
He once pursued, but didn’t land, Bill Parcells.
Now the Falcons have a head coach opening, and Bill Belichick is a free agent.
So here's the thing. The Panthers are a bit of a dumpster fire, and need a lot of help, so the notion of Belichick going there feels unlikely. That would probably explain why the Falcons seem more likely to land him, and are already being linked.
Suffice to say, Belichick to the Falcons would not be ideal for the Saints. A genius defensive mind like Belichick would potentially put their defense, which isn't exactly devoid of talent, over the top. On the topic of talent, they have dudes on the offense, unlike in New England, which could be scary.
Which brings us to the quarterback the Saints could potentially be going up against paired with Belichick.
The Falcons could draft one, but if recent history is any indication, they may not want to pair Belichick with a young quarterback needing to develop, which is also true for the Panthers. That said, if they go out and acquire a Russell Wilson or even Justin Fields? Well, that could potentially trouble.
At the end of the day it's all just speculation. We don't' know anything yet, and sometimes it feels like we even know what the Saints are doing with their staff. Having said that, the New Orleans Saints, and their fans, may want to start getting used to the thought of facing Bill Belichick twice a year for years to come, just in case.