On Thursday afternoon, the Atlanta Falcons sent shockwaves throughout the NFL landscape when it was announced that they would be hiring former Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to be their new head coach. The hire puts an end to a coaching search that began at the end of the season when Atlanta made the decision to fire then-head coach Arthur Smith following a disappointing campaign, opening up the door for Morris' arrival.

Prior to the hiring of Raheem Morris, one name that had made the rounds in the rumor mill regarding the Falcons job was none other than former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who parted ways with that franchise recently. Now, more light is being cast on why Atlanta chose not to go in that direction.

“Multiple sources have said for weeks that Blank went into this process wanting Belichick, and I think the league and the industry expected that to work out,” reported ESPN. “But there were hurdles that couldn't be cleared. The organizational structure in Atlanta involves Blank and CEO Rich McKay, and a lot of the discussions with Belichick centered on the idea of what McKay's role would be if Belichick came to coach the team — and how much power and control the various parties would have in the end.”

Power disagreements have indeed led to many a potential head coaching candidacy collapse. In any case, the Falcons now have their man in Raheem Morris, who previously spent time with the organization under head coach Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator.