The NFL’s coaching carousel is spinning slowly on Black Monday. Part of the hold up may be the team that got it whirring to life in the first place.

The Atlanta Falcons wasted no time when it came to firing three-year head coach Arthur Smith. Reports of his dismissal broke at 12:01 a.m. ET, kicking off Black Monday with a bang. And while Ron Rivera’s expected firing by the Washington Commanders eventually followed, the first day of the offseason for 18 teams actually began more quietly than expected.

This may be due to some moving pieces. And it may involve the Falcons’ interest in the man behind the most heartbreaking night in franchise history.

Bill Belichick is still the head coach in New England but the Atlanta Falcons are a team to watch if Belichick is available. They are interested, per sources.

— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) January 8, 2024

Atlanta is reportedly interested in hiring Bill Belichick as its next head coach. This would be a difficult sell beyond employing the man who hoisted the Lombardi Trophy after Atlanta biffed a 25-point lead in Super Bowl 51. Belichick is still under contract with the New England Patriots. On Monday, he told the press he was amenable to giving up some of his control as general manager in order to help the franchise recover from a 4-13 season.

Any move to bring Belichick aboard would require a trade, and the Patriots would likely be looking at significant draft assets in exchange for the right to hire a first-ballot Hall of Fame head coach. So while the world waited to see what might happen, fans and analysts killed some time by making jokes about it.

Somewhere lost in a sea of tired “28-3” references was some actual insight. Scroll down for a sampling.