Did Robert Kraft save Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie from hiring Bill Belichick?

Bill Belichick reportedly was voted off Falcons Island. Apparently, he never even made onto Eagles Island.

Not yet, anyway.

An ESPN.com report published Wednesday recounted, with glee, the repeated rejections fired Patriots coach Bill Belichick endured this offseason during his “Failed Job Hunt,” or so read the headline.

It recounted how, for various reasons, the Panthers, Commanders, Cowboys, and Eagles, who might have sniffed around Belichick in the past, didn’t consider him a viable candidate, at least not in this this hiring cycle. Mainly, though, it focused on the Falcons’ interest in Belichick, and how Belichick, who handled personnel decisions in New England, vowed to only attend to coaching if he got the job.

The Falcons didn’t buy it. Not only did they not hire Belichick — they hired Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris — but when the Falcons’ brain trust voted on which candidate it preferred, Belichick “didn’t finish in anyone’s top three,” the story said.

Said one source: “He was essentially voted off the island.”

Did he ever set foot on Eagles Island?

Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie indicated at the owners’ meetings that, even after a 1-6 finish, including a first-round playoff exit, he never lost faith in coach Nick Sirianni and does not consider him to be on the hot seat: “... no. I mean, I think Nick has all the ingredients, as I’ve said, I’m just really excited about this coming season.”

The ESPN.com story casts a shadow of doubt on that:

Owner Jeffrey Lurie and general manager Howie Roseman, both Belichick fans, still strongly believed in their current head coach, Nick Sirianni, who over a stretch went 26-5. But Lurie thought it was worth asking a confidant of his about Belichick. A source close to Belichick said the coach would have been interested.

So, Lurie asked a “confidant,” eh? Could that confidant possibly be his buddy Robert Kraft, Belichick’s boss as the Patriots’ owner and the object of Lurie’s envy for the past 20-some years? The ESPN.com story contends that Kraft skewered Belichick to Falcons owner Arthur Blank, which essentially sabotaged Belichick’s candidacy. Kraft saved Blank from himself. Maybe Kraft saved Lurie from himself, too.

It’s not outrageous to believe Lurie would consider:

1. Firing Sirianni, even after a Super Bowl run in 2023;

2. Hiring Belichick, even after his failures since Tom Brady left;

3. Backing off Belichick if Kraft painted Belichick in the same acerbic, arrogant light that he reportedly painted Belichick to Blank. Lurie values emotional intelligence; Belichick values Belichick.

The story continues to say that Roseman admitted that he called Belichick this winter, but solely to make sure Billy didn’t have the blues. Weird.

Finally, according to the story, Lurie was worried that Belichick would leave after he passed Don Shula on the all-time wins list. He’s 15 shy. This just makes so little sense.

If Belichick ever coaches again, it probably will be in Dallas, for Jerry Jones, after lame duck Mike McCarthy wastes another season of Dak Prescott’s prime. If nothing else, Jerry vs. Bill would make for superb theater.

» READ MORE: Eagles veterans: Nick Sirianni played favorites, as Jalen Hurts and A.J. Brown were treated ‘different’

There was never going to be any Jeffrey vs. Bill this year.

Lurie is wedded to Roseman, and there’s no salvation deep enough for Belichick to see the light of following Roseman’s lead.

Behind the scenes, the Eagles have contended that Belichick and Roseman could have coexisted. Zero NFL sources I’ve spoken with believe that to be true, and every one of them believe that the Eagles are perpetuating that contention out of Lurie’s respect for Belichick ...

And, if Sirianni and Roseman waste another season of Jalen Hurts’ prime, there’s always the possibility that Lurie might eventually hire Belichick after all.