The Dallas Cowboys could unexpectedly emerge as an ideal landing spot for a six-time Super Bowl champion head coach.
As NBC Sports’ Peter King mentions in his latest “Football Morning in America” column, he considers the Cowboys as one of the four “best” potential options if Bill Belichick is fired by the New England Patriots and the Cowboys move on from Mike McCarthy. King stresses that Dallas will only be on the market for a new head coach if they have a quick exit from the playoffs.
“The Cowboys could be in play, I think, only if they don’t win the division, have some sketchy outings down the stretch and go winless in the playoffs,” writes King. “In that case, I could see Jerry Jones chasing Belichick, repeating history from two decades ago. Before you say Belichick would never work for Jerry, remember 2003, when we all thought Bill Parcells would never work for Jones.”
Cowboys Best Possible Landing Spot for Bill Belichick
The other three teams King mentions are the Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears. Of those three other teams, only the Chargers could be considered a legit playoff contender with the addition of Belichick.
Since the start of the season, there has been little indication that the Cowboys will move on from McCarthy. However, those rumblings will start soon enough if Dallas suffers another short playoff exit considering they’ve won just one playoff game during McCarthy’s three seasons in Dallas.
Furthermore, McCarthy initially signed a five-year contract during the 2020 offseason, meaning he has just one year left on his deal after this season. In other words, the Cowboys should have no issue moving on from McCarthy and eating his remaining salary if Dallas fails to advance deep in the postseason.
Why Patriots Could Very Well Move on From Bill Belichick
Meanwhile, the idea of the Patriots moving on from Belichick is becoming a realistic possibility with New England now holding the worst record in the AFC at 2-8 following their 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. The Patriots rank second-to-last in offense with 14.1 points per game and aren’t showing any progress with Mac Jones at quarterback — they’re averaging just 13.3 points per game in their past three games, all losses.
Prior to their latest loss, there had been reports of New England dismissing their head coach becoming a possible reality in the near future. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reported during an appearance on “The Herd With Colin Cowherd” that “discussions” have taken place regarding the Patriots moving on from their longtime head coach.
“These discussions have taken place,” Breer said back in October. “I can tell you for sure, Robert hears the criticism, he hears the anger locally, and people in the building know for a fact that he’s hearing the anger from the fanbase. I think now we’re at the point where … is this just going to be a flat out firing?”
NFL analyst Gary Myers also speculated that the Cowboys could make sense as a landing spot — via trade — for Belichick if Dallas fails to make an impact in the playoffs under McCarthy for the fourth straight season.
“This is simply connect the dots speculation on my part. Follow along. If Bill Belichick is out in NE after the season and Robert Kraft looks to trade him (he’s under contract), don’t count out the Cowboys, who can’t win a big game with Mike McCarthy,” Myers wrote on Monday, November 6.
Considering Belichick is just 16 wins away behind Don Shula for the all-time wins mark by a head coach and when factoring in that Dallas would give the 71-year-old the best possible chance to win immediately, the idea of the Cowboys making Belichick their next head coach is a viable one.
If Dallas moves on from McCarthy, don’t be surprised if Belichick immediately emerges as the favorite to take over.
Comments
Cowboys Named ‘Best’ Option for Super Bowl Champion Head Coach