4 best Mike McCarthy replacements for Cowboys with Bill Belichick off the board

It's been reported at various points throughout the NFL season that Bill Belichick would take the Dallas Cowboys' job if Mike McCarthy was fired.

Even though it has seemed recently that Jerry Jones has changed his tune on McCarthy, it wouldn't be the first time that Jones praised a head coach before axing them. Jones famously called Jason Garrett a great coach before firing him a month later after the 2019 season.

With McCarthy in a lame-duck year and fresh off a historically bad playoff loss, Jones handing the keys of the franchise to Belichick, with whom he has a strong working relationship, felt like a foregone conclusion.

Unfortunately for Jones, Belichick is taking his talents to the University of North Carolina. It's a stunning move - one that puts the Cowboys in a tough spot if they had all their eggs in the Belichick basket.

Hope is not lost, though, as there are several intriguing candidates whom would make for quality McCarthy replacements. Let's dive in.

4. Brian Flores, Vikings DC

Flores' head coaching tenure with the Dolphins had a loud ending, but in Minnesota he has reminded everyone why he's one of the NFL's brightest defensive minds.

The Vikings have been a top-five scoring defense the entire season under Flores' tutelage. Entering Week 15, they rank sixth in points allowed and fourth in total sacks.

When you think of most elite defenses, they generally have two or three recognizable names. Outside of old friend Stephon Gilmore and veteran safety Harrison Smith, Flores' unit is composed of under-the-radar names who have adapted to Flores' scheme.

Hiring a defensive-minded coach comes with the pressure of having to nail the offensive coordinator hire. That is a potential red flag, but the idea of pairing Flores with Micah Parsons and promoting Al Harris to defensive coordinator is highly appealing.

3. Mike Vrabel, former Titans HC

Vrabel will likely top many Cowboys fans' wishlists. He checks all of the boxes that the Joneses typically desire in coaching candidates as a hard-nosed guy with previous experience who knows what it takes to win on the margins.

Vrabel compiled a 54-45 record with the Titans in six seasons, including three straight playoff berths. He reached the AFC Championship Game with Ryan Tannehill as his quarterback. Vrabel's Titans were never stacked with talent, but they were tremendously physical and knew how to win ugly. The latter two have essentially been foreign languages to Dallas.

A three-time Super Bowl champ as a player, Vrabel is an elite leader of men who would make the Cowboys physical and fundamentally sound.

2. Aaron Glenn, Lions DC

Glenn is a dark-horse candidate, but he should be high on the Cowboys' list. Glenn is a former defensive back for the Cowboys and he played under Bill Parcells. He's got a good grasp of how Jerry Jones runs the show, so that wouldn't be a shell-shock to his system.

The Lions hired Glenn as their defensive coordinator in 2021 - the same year they brought in Dan Campbell as head coach. While Campbell gets all the plaudits for changing the culture in Detroit, Glenn absolutely helped cultivate it alongside Campbell.

A humble, TX native, Glenn has the Lions defense buzzing despite losing several starters to injury. The injuries might come home to roost in the playoffs, but Detroit even being competitive on defense every week amid their injury crisis is a testament to Glenn's ability to get the most out of his players.

1. Ben Johnson, Lions OC

Johnson was one of the most coveted coaching candidates last hiring cycle. He took several interviews and appeared to reach an agreement with the Commaders but be backed out at the last-second to return to his post in Detroit.

Johnson is one of the top play-callers in the NFL. He's in the upper-echelon with Andy Reid, Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay. The Lions currently rank first in points per game (32.1) and second in yards per game (394.8).

Johnson is the architect of the entire operation. He calls the plays and designs the scheme. He's propelled a very limited quarterback in Jared Goff into the MVP conversation.

It's unlikely that Jerry and Stephen Jones hire someone with no previous coaching experience, but Johnson's offensive genius is exactly what Dallas should target after they made Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb among the highest-paid players at their respective positions.

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