Bill Belichick Takes Shot At Atlanta Falcons While On ESPN’s ‘Manningcast’

While Bill Belichick looks content with his career in NFL media, he could not help himself from disparaging a team that sent him packing during the off-season.

The Atlanta Falcons set up multiple meetings with Belichick to become their next head coach after firing Arthur Smith. However, they spurned the six-time Super Bowl champion in favor of Raheem Morris, who spent the last few seasons as the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive coordinator. So, on his weekly Monday night appearance on ESPN’s Manningcast, he could not stop himself from taking a shot at the franchise that the New England Patriots beat in Super Bowl 51.

“I also remember [Falcons owner Arthur] Blank down on the sideline in the fourth quarter celebrating when they were ahead. He’s a pretty good dresser now. Arthur’s always looked sharp, but you know he was down there on the sideline and, you know, we were getting beat, and I’m like ‘Jesus,’ but anyway…”

Of course, Belichick made Blank look foolish as he spent the entire fourth quarter on the sideline watching the first championship in franchise history slip away as the Patriots stole the game in overtime. However, Belichick did not stop there and commented on the tampering violations the NFL found the Falcons guilty of during the off-season.

“[Mooney was] one of those three free agents they signed illegally—Mooney, Woerner, and of course Cousins—that they contacted early, got fined for it, lost a draft choice and all that,” he said.

Reporters around the NFL believe that Belichick wants to coach in the NFL again to break Don Schula’s all-time win record and that 2024 will just be a hiatus for him.

Meanwhile, the Falcons recorded their first win of the season with a last-second, 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles for their first victory of the campaign.