Legendary NFL coach Bill Belichick’s next destination is Kansas City, analyst Craig Carton has claimed. The second-winningest coach in NFL history is currently available after ending his reign with the New England Patriots earlier this month. But after being snubbed by the Atlanta Falcons for their head coach vacancy the chances of seeing him back in the league next season are slim.
Belichick had interviewed twice with Atlanta but they opted to hire Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris instead, leaving just the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Commanders on the hunt for new head coaches. However, Carton believes neither franchise will be Belichick’s new home as he claimed the 71-year-old will take charge at the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Speaking on his FS1 program, The Carton Show, on Friday, the host suggested that current Chiefs head coach Andy Reid will retire at the end of this season and Kansas City owner Clark Hunt will bring in Belichick to replace him.
“I think Bill Belichick will be the next head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs next year. I think that’s where he goes after Andy Reid retires after this year.”
— @craigcartonlive pic.twitter.com/BusiIZDAW4
— The Carton Show (@TheCartonShow) January 26, 2024
I think Bill Belichick will be the next head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs next year,’ Carton began. ‘I think that’s where he goes after Andy Reid retires after this year. There’s some smoke around that he may retire. He had a great Hall of Fame career.’Â The Chiefs are said to fear Reid walking away at the end of the season, despite the 65-year-old coach insisting he is not considering calling it a day.
Reid was asked about his long-term future at a Chiefs press conference a couple of weeks ago and dismissed any suggestions that he could walk away in the near future. But Mike Florio of NBC said on the Zach Gelby show last week that the Chiefs have Reid’s potential departure ‘on their radar’. He added that uncertainty over Reid’s future could cause an impasse in the NFL coaching market because if the Chiefs job became available, it’s the one that every candidate linked to a current vacancy would want.
Meanwhile, Belichick could be that free agent ready to snatch up the Chiefs vacancy after he was snubbed by the Falcons despite interviewing twice for the position. It was reported that Atlanta’s front office did not want owner Arthur Blank to hire the legendary New England Patriots coach over fear for their own jobs. Carton reiterated that claim Friday, adding that it demonstrated the state of the organization.
No disrespect to Raheem Morris, who a lot of guys love and feel legitimately deserves a second chance to be head coach, but this shows you why the Atlanta Falcons are a dysfunctional mess,’ he said. ‘They made a decision not to hire Bill Belichick, not because he was the best candidate or not, but because the general manager, the vice president and the other executives recognized that if he comes here, there’s a good chance I’m out of a job.
‘They had a power play against Arthur Blank, the owner, and they convinced him, “If you get Belichick, we’re looking for a new coach in two or three years, why go through that again?” And Arthur Blank bought it. ‘This has nothing to do with Raheem Morris being a better candidate than Bill Belichick, because he’s not. This had everything to do with job security fir all the men and women who are in that front office, who feared that if Belichick comes in they might be out of a job.’
Meanwhile, Reid, who is 66 in March, is supremely popular in Kansas City with his players and fans. He won the Super Bowl last season and despite a less consistent campaign this time around, the Chiefs are tipped by many as serious contenders this time around after making it to the AFC Championship game this Sunday.
When Reid, affectionately nicknamed ‘Big Red’ in the NFL, was asked if he’ll retire last week, he said: ‘I haven’t even thought about that. I’m thinking about one thing (the next game). ‘I figured that would come up when you guys were asking these questions because I’m old but, not that old.’ Reid has been head coach of the Chiefs since 2013 and has two Super Bowl titles to his name from his time in Kansas City. Before his time in Kansas City, Reid was coach at the Philadelphia Eagles.
