The announcement tore through the NFL social media universe faster than Taylor Swift doing some variation of swag surfin’ at Arrowhead Stadium. Words that seemed unthinkable, now blaring on X (but, alas, not on MyFace, YourFace, SnapFace or InstantFace): Bill Belichick had interviewed with the Atlanta Falcons for their head coaching vacancy.

Surely the Hoodie himself never saw that news on any social media platforms, including those he’s invented over the years. In any case, the idea struck many around the league as a somewhat preposterous coupling: arguably the greatest coach in NFL history (who has enjoyed a run of salary-cap era greatness never to be seen again) paired with a franchise with no history of winning big (and almost none of coming particularly close) that is coming off a season in which it couldn’t win consistently even in the lowly NFC South.

Conversations with two general managers, two well-connected personnel executives and three coaching agents — none representing Belichick, but with multiple clients being interviewed in this cycle — revealed sturdy skepticism that Belichick would be donning a Falcons sweatshirt with ripped-off sleeves anytime soon.

However, none of the seven — who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they need to maintain relationships inside the league — was surprised that Belichick would meet with an owner like Arthur Blank. Still chasing Don Shula’s career wins mark, Belichick could be determining his market value and price point at a time when more head coaching jobs (and more hotly coveted jobs) are expected to open on top of the seven existing vacancies.