# NFL Black Monday 2024 thread
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750
**Category:** The Game Room
**Tags:** football-nfl
**Created:** [January 7, 2024, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750 "2024-01-07T22:25:17Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 7
### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/121 "2024-01-26T19:52:57Z")
> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> It seems so weird to me that the best head coach of all time can’t get a job, but honestly everyone has an expiration date. So I guess it was inevitable.
Six years ago, the best quarterback of all time had a tough time getting hired, and he was still putting up great numbers and was only one season away from his latest Super Bowl win.
> [@hajario](#):
>
> What are the ages of the newly hired head coaches this year?
>
> I know that Harbaugh just turned 60 (because we were born on the same exact day).
Raheem Morris, Falcons, is 47
Jim Harbaugh, Chargers, is 60
Jarod Mayo, Patriots, is 37
Dave Canales, Panthers, is 42
Antonio Pierce, Raiders, is 45
Brian Callahan, Titans, is 39
So Harbaugh is a big outlier in age. And he’s had success previously in the NFL and very recently in college football.
---
### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/122 "2024-01-26T19:53:52Z")
> [@Great\_Antibob](#):
>
> So, by all means, if that indicates a need to take personnel and front office power away, go ahead but at least feeling out how willing he’d be to do that seems warranted in the case of more than 1 team
If he gets a reputation after his interview with just one team, I’m sure owners talk. He might just not be willing to let go of being GM as he was for his entire time in New England.
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### Author:  [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/123 "2024-01-26T19:55:46Z")
That’s rather my point. Give a call and find out for yourself how much of that reputation is deserved or valid and how much is not. Probably all of it is, but that’s the purpose of holding the interview in the first place - they aren’t supposed to be binding contracts
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### Author:  [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/124 "2024-01-26T19:56:09Z")
We’re down to two openings and Bill Belichick, in possession of one of the greatest resumes in history, has interviewed for neither of them. In fact, he has only interviewed with Arthur Blank of the Falcons (and did not speak to the team’s GM).
I guess either Washington or Seattle could still surprise but it appears that league GMs have decided to move on. I wonder if the two teams with openings are waiting for an end to one of the four remaining teams’ seasons to make a run at a talented co-ordinator?
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/125 "2024-01-26T19:58:16Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#):
>
> So Harbaugh is a big outlier in age. And he’s had success previously in the NFL and very recently in college football.
Thanks for the research.
Indeed 60 is the outlier. How about 72? Belichick has aged out. End of story.
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### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/126 "2024-01-26T19:59:41Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#):
>
> Six years ago, the best quarterback of all time had a tough time getting hired, and he was still putting up great numbers and was only one season away from his latest Super Bowl win.
Who is this supposed to be in reference to? Because it doesn’t apply to Manning or Brady.
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/127 "2024-01-26T20:06:44Z")
I was referring to Brady. His last game with the Pats was on January 4 2020, he knew he wasn’t returning to the Pats, and he didn’t sign with the Bucs until March 20. Teams were definitely not lining up to interview/sign him.
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/128 "2024-01-26T20:09:52Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#):
>
> I guess either Washington or Seattle could still surprise but it appears that league GMs have decided to move on.
If Seattle fired the oldest coach in the league after putting up a 9-8 record, and then hire a coach 6 months younger but with 5 fewer wins this season, the fans should burn the stadium to the ground.
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/129 "2024-01-26T20:11:48Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#):
>
> Teams were definitely not lining up to interview/sign him.
I seem to remember it was more a matter of “Where is Brady _willing_ to sign?” and most of the league knew they did not qualify. He wasn’t going to be swayed with money.
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/130 "2024-01-26T20:15:59Z")
That’s not how I remember it, and I was listening to Boston sports radio every day. Maybe the national broadcasts had a different take, but it seemed here that a lot of teams were passing on him.
Here’s an article where he discusses what happened in 2020:
> **[Tom Brady incredulous after a certain team passed on him in 2020: 'You’re...](https://www.nfl.com/news/tom-brady-incredulous-after-a-certain-team-passed-on-him-in-2020-you-re-sticking)**
>
> Upon his first foray into free agency last year, Buccaneers QB Tom Brady couldn't believe being passed over by one team in particular. It was among a few revelations from Brady during an ironically candid appearance on HBO’s The Shop, which aired...
It says:
> Just a handful of teams other than the Buccaneers were reported or rumored to be in the Brady sweepstakes in 2020 – that list includes the Bears, Chargers, Raiders, Rams, Saints, Titans and 49ers –
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### Author:  [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/131 "2024-01-26T20:23:34Z")
Well, those two takes are not necessarily conflicting.
Those look like exactly teams that, at the time, for the most part could think they had a reasonable chance of signing Brady. Everyone else either had a franchise QB already, or they knew they just weren’t the right situation for Brady and he would pass on them even if they gave him the full court press so they didn’t bother.
I know the Washington Football Team at least put in a call to his agent and were likely told “No” straight up.
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### Author:  [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/132 "2024-01-26T20:46:44Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#):
>
> he didn’t sign with the Bucs until March 20
Free agency started March 18th. He signed two days after the earliest possible date.
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### Author:  [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/133 "2024-01-26T21:00:49Z")
Ok, good point. But the way I remember it the list of teams interested in him was shrinking quickly. Maybe he was being picky as hell, IDK.
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### Author:  [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/134 "2024-01-26T21:02:23Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#):
>
> I guess either Washington or Seattle could still surprise but it appears that league GMs have decided to move on. I wonder if the two teams with openings are waiting for an end to one of the four remaining teams’ seasons to make a run at a talented co-ordinator?
Washington is interviewing Ben Johnson next week, so yes they are waiting. As noted, Seattle is not interested in an old coach.
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/135 "2024-01-26T21:21:09Z")
John Schneider is a fantastic GM and a huge reason why Seattle recently had their best decade of football in franchise history. He and Pete Carroll worked wonderfully as a team. Whoever gets signed on as HC is going to need to gel well with Schneider.
That person is **not** going to be Bill Belichick.
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### Author:  [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)
#### Post date: [January 26, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/136 "2024-01-26T21:39:27Z")
> [@Atamasama](#):
>
> It’s looking like Belichick will be taking the year off.
>
> Supposedly Atlanta had concerns that he wouldn’t get along with the front office.
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#):
>
> In fact, he has only interviewed with Arthur Blank of the Falcons (and did not speak to the team’s GM).
According to Atlanta sports talk radio, the Falcons’ front office is beset with behind-the-scenes drama. Rumor, painted in tongues, says that some members of management were worried for their jobs if Belichick got the nod. Much has been made of the fact that GM Terry Fontenot was not present at the press conference when Arthur Blank and Rich McKay announced that they fired Arthur Smith. And now the Falcons have said that Fontenot and Raheem Morris will report directly to Blank, bypassing McKay.
So is Fontenot sidelined? Is McKay? No one really knows, but it does sound like a shitshow up at Flowery Branch.
Stuff like this is why I’m not a Falcons fan, even after 40 years in Atlanta.
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### Author:  [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2024, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/137 "2024-01-28T03:13:15Z")
I’m having a really hard time imagining surly Bill as a color commentator or host of pregame/postgame show.
> **[Bill Belichick reportedly could go for a TV gig in 2024, coach again in 2025](https://www.boston.com/sports/new-england-patriots/2024/01/27/bill-belichick-head-coach-television-nfl-report/?p1=hp_primary)**
>
> Bill Belichick might wait until 2025 to coach again, but what will he do in 2024? Television reportedly could be in his future.
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### Author:  [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2024, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/138 "2024-01-28T03:45:01Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#):
>
> I’m having a really hard time imagining surly Bill as a color commentator or host of pregame/postgame show.
I’m picturing Roy Kent from _Ted Lasso_.
> That’s no excuse to play like you’re afraid of 'em. You could see it in their faces: abject terror. Like children waiting in line for the handsy Father Christmas. Have some fucking pride in your shirt or don’t fucking wear it.
I’d tune in if his commentary was on par with that.
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### Author:  [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2024, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/139 "2024-01-28T04:09:26Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#):
>
> I’m having a really hard time imagining surly Bill as a color commentator or host of pregame/postgame show.
Not me, he’s done that sort of thing before.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1YPauD06-4)
Granted that was a long time ago.
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### Author:  [@ShadowFacts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShadowFacts)
#### Post date: [January 28, 2024, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-black-monday-2024-thread/995750/140 "2024-01-28T14:20:15Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#):
>
> I’m having a really hard time imagining surly Bill as a color commentator or host of pregame/postgame show.
If you read Boston sports media, “Surly Bill” is a persona he puts on, but he can be quite personable when he wants to be. Also, he is apparently a walking encyclopedia of football knowledge and history - I’ve seen players mention how impressed they are with that.
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