ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons are planning for a second interview with Bill Belichick after talking with Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson for the head coaching vacancy on Thursday.

Belichick made the Falcons his first known interview on Monday since leaving the New England Patriots. Belichick won a record six Super Bowls in his 24 seasons with New England. He will be the first candidate to have a second interview with Atlanta.

The team has not disclosed details of the second meeting with Belichick, 71.

The Falcons are looking for a successor to Arthur Smith, who was fired after his third straight 7-10 finish.

Including the playoffs, Belichick has 333 victories, second all time to Hall of Famer Don Shula’s 347. He led the Patriots to 17 division titles.

The plans for a second meeting between the Falcons and Belichick indicates an agreement on Belichick’s possible role in player personnel decisions should he accept the job. Belichick had control of player personnel with New England.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank and CEO Rich McKay are leading the coach search. Blank said recently GM Terry Fontenot would continue to be in charge of personnel decisions while the new coach and Fontenot would report to McKay.

Johnson was promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator for the 2023 season. He joined the Eagles’ staff in 2021.
Johnson is the second offensive coordinator to interview with Atlanta, following Cincinnati’s Brian Callahan.

The Falcons interviewed Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh on Tuesday.

The Falcons said the interview with Johnson was held virtually.

KIRK COUSINS plans to be ready to return for practice in the spring wherever he ends up playing next season.

Cousins continues progressing from a torn Achilles tendon that ended his season after eight games. He’s set to become a free agent following six years with the Minnesota Vikings but the team wants him back and the feeling is mutual.

STEELERS: Mike Tomlin remains “on go” in Pittsburgh.

Both in 2024 and likely beyond.

The NFL’s longest-tenured head coach said he plans on returning to the Steelers for an 18th season, brushing aside speculation that he was on the cusp of burning out and considering taking a step back.

Tomlin shook his head and chuckled “no” when asked if he told anyone he needed a break, saying his passion for his job has only intensified the deeper he gets into a career that includes a Super Bowl ring, but also a playoff-win drought that sits at seven years and counting following a 31-17 loss to Buffalo in the opening round on Monday.

The Steelers finished 10-8 in Tomlin’s 17th season and have never finished below .500 since he took over for Bill Cowher in January 2007.

TITANS: The Tennessee Titans announced they had finished a virtual interview with Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Thomas Brown, making him the sixth person to talk to Tennessee about its open head coaching job.

Brown, 37, is the second Black coach to interview with the Titans, who fired Mike Vrabel on Jan. 9 after six seasons. Brown was hired by Carolina as offensive coordinator in February 2023. He also interviewed for the Houston job that went to DeMeco Ryans.

COWBOYS: Mike McCarthy sifted through several versions of selling his belief that the Dallas Cowboys can find a level of postseason success that has eluded the storied franchise for nearly three decades.

The coach faced reporters a day after a meeting with owner and GM Jerry Jones ended with them agreeing McCarthy would return for a fifth season despite a stunning wild-card loss to Green Bay.

The Cowboys won the NFC East and entered the postseason with a chance to play at least twice at home, where they had a 16-game winning streak.

They exited as the first No. 2 seed to lose to a conference’s last team in since the 14-team format was adopted in 2020. Dallas trailed by 32 points in the fourth quarter of the 48-32 loss to the Packers.

“We have established a championship program. It’s just not a world championship yet,” McCarthy told a packed news conference. “We know how to win. We know how to train to win. We have the right people.

“But we have not crossed the threshold winning playoff games. It’s extremely disappointing to be sitting here talking about. But I know how to win. We will get over that threshold. I have total confidence in that, and that’s why I’m standing here today.”

McCarthy won a Super Bowl and went to three other NFC championship games in 12-plus seasons as coach of the Packers. That’s why Jones hired him in 2020 after 10 years of watching Jason Garrett’s teams fail to get past the divisional round.

CHARGERS: Former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel was among two candidates who interviewed for the Los Angeles Chargers opening.

The Chargers also announced earlier in the day that former Stanford University coach David Shaw interviewed, bringing the total number to 11.

The Chargers are looking for a coach and general manager after Brandon Staley and Tom Telesco were fired on Dec. 15, a day after a 63-21 loss at Las Vegas.

It is the first announced interview for Vrabel since he was fired by the Titans on Jan. 9 after six seasons. Vrabel went 56-48 overall, and reached the AFC championship game during the 2019 season as part of three straight playoff berths.

Vrabel was the 2021 AP NFL Coach of the Year, but he had losing seasons the past two years and dropped 18 of his last 24 in Tennessee.

Shaw did not coach last season and was an NFL Network analyst. He was also a frequent presence around UCLA practices since his son, Carter Shaw, was a freshman wide receiver on the Bruins. He had a 96-64 record in 11 seasons at Stanford and led the Cardinal to three Pac-12 titles.