Getty Brett Favre, Mike McCarthy
Putting aside any lingering acrimony from their ages-ago divorce, Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre foresees a potential championship run for Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys this season.
“I think they’re gonna contend for it. … I think Mike (McCarthy) will bring a different level of toughness and a little spunk with him, and some creativity offensively that Dak will enjoy. … I do think they will make a run for it,” Favre said Tuesday on SiriusXM NFL Radio, per The Athletic.
Favre knows something about McCarthy, having played for the former Packers-turned-current-Cowboys head coach from 2006-08. He earned two of his 11 career Pro Bowl selections under McCarthy’s tutelage and, even in retirement, has vouched that “any young quarterback would like him.”
The legendary gunslinger also knows something about quarterbacking; his all-time passing records need no mention. And the 50-year-old has long been a fan of Cowboys signal-caller Dak Prescott — that is, future Super Bowl champion Dak Prescott.
“I think he’s good. I really do,” Favre said last October. “Not a knock in any way, shape, or form, but he’s not as flashy. But he’s very consistent. He’s got everything you could ask for — the size, strength, arm strength. The guys love him. He plays hard. He plays smart. I think he’s a legitimate long-time quarterback, barring injury. And at some point, I do believe he’ll lead that team to a Super Bowl. Will it be this year? I have no idea. But I think he’s really good, and he’ll be there a long time.”
McCarthy, meanwhile, knows something about Super Bowls, having hoisted the Lombardi Trophy with Green Bay in 2010. After a season away from football, he jumped from one storied franchise to another, uninterested in resting on his laurels, very much aware of the standard set before him.
“Trust me, I knew the day I walked into this building what the expectations are and always will be with the Dallas Cowboys. … I’m not here to try to just get a few more years under my belt. I’m here to win championships,” McCarthy told reporters Wednesday, via The Athletic.
Follow the Heavy on Cowboys Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
Players, Oddsmakers Believe, Too
It isn’t just Favre who’s drinking the Dallas kool-aid. Those in Vegas believe the 2020 outfit, boasting arguably the league’s deepest roster, has “every chance” to snap a title drought that’s going on three decades.
Those inside the locker room also bought into the hype. Backup QB Andy Dalton, for example, cited the club’s collection of star talent in declaring a “realistic shot” to win Super Bowl 55.
“The roster is so talented. From top to bottom, there’s talent everywhere,” Dalton told Sports Illustrated last month. “I think I saw something [that we have] 16 Pro Bowlers on this team. We have high expectations, and we should. That’s the thing right now; it’s training camp, everybody’s expectation is to win a Super Bowl. But we feel like we have a realistic shot at that and we’re going to do everything we can to get there.”
READ NEXT: Cowboys Restructure Second All-Pro, Creating ‘More for Dak Prescott’: Report
Follow Zack Kelberman on Twitter: @KelbermanNFL