NFL rumors: Robert Kraft may have sabotaged Bill Belichick's chances in Atlanta

The ending of the Bill Belichick era in New England may have looked mutual and appealing on camera, but reality suggests it was anything but. It's a mystery what went down behind the scenes leading up to the fateful press conference.

What's also a mystery is why Belichick hasn't gotten a head coaching gig this offseason, specifically for teams like the Atlanta Falcons. Well, that question may have an answer. According to ESPN, with a h/t to Boston Herald Patriots reporter Andrew Callahan, Kraft called Falcons owner Arthur Blank during Atlanta’s coaching search to warn him not to trust Belichick. Kraft has of course denied this allegation.

This type of situation isn't the first to occur. There was a famous example involving the late Bill Walsh and former Bengals owner Paul Brown. In the Bill Walsh: A Football Life documentary, after Bill Johnson ultimately became head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Walsh left and was seeking head coaching opportunities, only to be screwed over by Paul Brown.

Walsh's son Craig mentioned the Green Bay situation — just imagine how that would have turned out and how Green Bay would have fared. Walsh ultimately landed at Stanford and then with the 49ers, getting his revenge on Brown and the Bengals with two Super Bowl titles at their expense, including the Joe Montana to John Taylor game-winning touchdown pass. But this beef was confirmed and verified. This type of rift between Belichick and Kraft has not been confirmed in any way.

Robert Kraft may have been the reason Bill Belichick is not coaching in the NFL this season

It's also been documented how several Patriots players felt regarding the Apple TV Series The Dynasty, some viewing it as a negative campaign against Belichick. However, that might not be the real reason why Belichick could be out of a job. It may have to do with how he worked with the team following his decision to release Tom Brady.

It's possible. After all, Brady did return to Foxborough and got the last laugh a year after arriving in Tampa and taking the Buccaneers on a road wild-card journey all the way to Super Bowl LV, helping the Bucs rout the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes 31-9 in the process. Maybe that is why Belichick isn't around, because of how he handled Brady?

Whatever the case is, the hoodie isn't on the sidelines this season, and whether he comes back remains to be seen. However, in this day and age with younger coaches and offensive minds running the show, that might not happen. Still, if Robert Kraft did indeed do such a thing to Belichick, then he might endure Jerry Reinsdorf levels of animosity and vitriol directed at him from the fanbase in Foxborough.