Since his departure from the New England Patriots after 24 seasons, Bill Belichick has been among the hottest commodities for nearly every NFL head coach opening.
And now Belichick is being discussed in connection with a job that’s not available, but one that might come as a surprise.
On a recent podcast, former NFL running back Fred Taylor, who played his final two seasons in New England, was asked where he believed Belichick would be the best fit. Taylor said the right situation would need to be one with a playoff-ready roster and an established quarterback.
The perfect team for Belichick? The Dallas Cowboys.
“If Dallas doesn’t do what I think they can do in the playoffs this year (and) considering how well Dak (Prescott) is playing … if Dallas doesn’t go far, I think that would be a good fit for coach Belichick,” said Taylor, on the “Eye Test For Two” podcast, hosted by Pro Football Hall of Fame voters Clark Judge and Ira Kaufman.
“All those players, I think, would conform to his coaching style. And Dak would be a great quarterback for him to lead. I think he would respond, and they could actually make some noise in Dallas.”
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Bill Belichick would replace Mike McCarthy
The Dallas Cowboys’ head coaching job currently belongs to Mike McCarthy, who’s leading the Cowboys against his former team, the Green Bay Packers, in an NFC wild-card game Sunday.
Now in his fourth season, McCarthy has compiled a 42-25 record with three consecutive playoff appearances. But the Cowboys have yet to advance past the divisional round.
The Cowboys (12-5) entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the NFC and clinched their second NFC East title in four seasons. After beating Washington in their final regular-season game, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was asked about McCarthy’s future, and he gave a rather murky response.
“His record speaks for itself,” Jones said. “I think what he’s done, the fact that we’ve put ourselves in this position over these last three years, I think that does speak for itself. We’ve got a lot of football left in no small part thanks to Mike, thanks to his staff, and thanks to some really outstanding football players around here. So, we’ll see how each game goes.”
Seeing “how the game goes” could be construed as a reference to how well the Cowboys perform in the playoffs. And if they underperform once again, it’s likely that Jones could move on from McCarthy.
At that point Jones, longing for the franchise’s first Super Bowl title since 1995, could look to make a big-splash hire with Belichick, who at 72 would be unlikely to lead a rebuilding franchise.
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Dallas Cowboys would come ready-made for Bill Belichick
With the Cowboys, Bill Belichick would already have an All-Pro quarterback in Dak Prescott. With Tom Brady at quarterback for the bulk of his tenure in New England, the seven-time Super Bowl-winning head coach has proven how far he could take a team with an elite signal-caller.
Although Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has been a hot name related to several job openings, Quinn is also on McCarthy’s staff and, in Dallas, he likely wouldn’t bring as much of a paradigm shift as Belichick would to win a Super Bowl.
Taylor, who played for Bill Belichick from 2009-10, said he believes a playoff loss would make McCarthy “expendable,” opening the door for Belichick.
“Jerry wants championships,” said Taylor, who gained 11,695 yards and scored 74 during his 13-year career. “He’s not getting any younger. He wants results, and he wants them now. I wish coach Belichick the best. I think he is the G.O.A.T., and I think he deserves to go out in high fashion.”
