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Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady said he's "surprised" that his longtime former coach, Bill Belichick, hasn't hired by an NFL team after mutually parting ways with the New England Patriots last month.
"I don't know the criteria for hiring coaches. I've never been a part of it," Brady said this week on his 'Let's Go' podcast. "I mean, I'm surprised that the greatest coach ever doesn't have a job, absolutely. But I'm surprised [by] a lot of things in the NFL."
Belichick, 71, a six-time Super Bowl champion, had multiple interviews with the Atlanta Falcons following his Patriots departure. Last month, ESPN's Dan Graziano reported that Belichick was seen as a "short-term play," which raised concern for some within the Falcons' organization, specifically those who feared his extensive overhauling would once again need to be repeated after his eventual departure in the near future.
Belichick was reported to have interviewed twice for the Falcons' head coaching job, which eventually went to Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris on Thursday. Falcons owner Arthur Blank is reported to have potentially favored Belichick prior to interviews, but was willing to listen to the input of others within the organization, which led to the decision to hire Morris, who also entered interviews with high opinions, according to Graziano.
Belichick only interviewed for the Falcons' head coaching vacancy and could wait another year before entertaining another position, Rapoport reported last week.