The Dallas Cowboys enter the NFL playoffs with the second-best odds of reaching the Super Bowl among NFC teams. While Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy have this team well-positioned to make a run, it appears a future without McCarthy is already under consideration.
Dallas has enjoyed outstanding success in the regular season with McCarthy. After a 6-10 campaign in his first year, McCarthy has won the NFC East twice in the last three seasons and posted a 12-5 record in three consecutive years. The success has given him the highest winning percentage in Cowboys’ history.
- Mike McCarthy coaching record: 42-25 with the Dallas Cowboys
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The playoffs have been another story. In 2021, Dallas lost 23-17 in the Wild Card round to the San Francisco 49ers. A year later, after crushing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Game, the Cowboys were again knocked out by San Francisco.
As the NFC’s No. 2 seed, the Cowboys get to stay at AT&T Stadium barring an NFC Championship Game matchup in San Francisco. However, there are doubts regarding the Cowboys’ chance of advancing past the Divisional Round. Amid NFL rumors that McCarthy could be on the hot seat, it appears Dallas is already being connected to a replacement.
Appearing on NBC, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reported that the Cowboys are “believed to be in play” for Bill Belichick.
“Yes, the Cowboys are believed to be in play. There’s a long history of respect and admiration between Bill Belichick and Jerry Jones. They have a great team there. Belichick could just go in and coach it to places they haven’t been in a very long time.”
Mike Florio on the Dallas Cowboys’ potential interest in Bill Belichick
Recently fired by the New England Patriots, Belichick has been tied to the Atlanta Falcons’ coaching vacancy and there’s reportedly interest from the Carolina Panthers. However, the firing of McCarthy would immediately make Dallas the most attractive head-coaching vacancy in the NFL.
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With Dan Quinn expected to become a head coach this offseason, Jones could ultimately face a decision if the Cowboys don’t reach the NFC title game. Keeping McCarthy would still come at the expense of losing Quinn, creating a void in the locker room and resulting in the Cowboys’ defense regressing next season.
While Quinn would be the early favorite to replace McCarthy, Belichick could be an even better option. He proved this season that he’s still the best defensive mind in the NFL, which could help Dallas have the NFL’s No. 1 defense in 2024. As for the offense, the Cowboys could allow Prescott to keep running things from the field with someone like Josh McDaniels serving as offensive coordinator.
