Report: Falcons interested in Belichick if he becomes available

The Atlanta Falcons are interested in hiring New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick if he becomes available, sources told Dianna Russini of The Athletic.

Belichick is still under contract with the Patriots. However, a divorce could be on the horizon. He said Monday that a decision on his future in New England isn't imminent.

"As far as any decisions or directions or anything like that for next year, (it's) way too early for that," Belichick said. "The end-of-the-year processes ... I don't think will be fundamentally different from the standpoint of how it's done."

The 71-year-old Belichick added that he'll meet with Patriots owner Robert Kraft soon to discuss the next steps for the organization.

New England finished the season 4-13, tied for the second-worst mark in the league. The club is 29-38 since Tom Brady departed in 2020 with zero playoff victories. However, the defense, Belichick's specialty, has been stable during that stretch.

The Patriots have had a top-15 scoring defense every year since 2005 and ranked seventh in yards allowed per contest this campaign.

Atlanta fired head coach Arthur Smith after three seasons with the team. He finished with a 21-30 record, failing to make the playoffs during his tenure.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank and CEO Rich McKay will lead the head coaching search.

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