Bill Belichick speculation runs rampant after Cowboys' historic loss vs. Lions

It really is cruel and unfair to speculate on a head coach's or player's job security, but Mike McCarthy's future is suddenly one of the NFL's most prominent storylines after the Dallas Cowboys were thrashed by the Detroit Lions 47-9 in front of their home fans on Sunday.

The 38-point drubbing marked the third time this season and the fourth time in the last five games that the Cowboys were dominated at home. While Dallas mounted a late comeback against the Ravens in Week 3, they trailed by as many as 22 points in the third quarter.

A single embarrassing home loss would normally result in somebody losing their job. The fact it has become a habit under McCarthy does not bode well for the veteran head coach.

Despite that, Jerry Jones stated after the game that he is not considering a coaching change at this time. Firing McCarthy might have to wait until after the season, but the media and Cowboys fans alike are already brainstorming possible replacements.

Former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is likely to top many lists and the speculation started no more than two hours after Sunday's loss.

Bill Belichick to Cowboys speculation heats up after Dallas' loss to Lions.

According to FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz, Belichick is widely viewed around the league as the frontrunner to land the Cowboys' job if they make a coaching change after the season. Schultz spoke to multiple sources who affirm that Belichick has a "great relationship" with the Jones family.

This isn't "new" information, but it's notable nonetheless.

Belichick was considered a prime candidate for the Cowboys' job last offseason following the blowout playoff loss to the Packers. It felt inevitable that McCarthy would be fired, but Jones made the stunning decision to bring the HC back for the final year of his contract.

Fortunately for Jones, Belichick was not hired during the 2024 coaching carousel. The six-time Super Bowl champion secured a second interview with the Atlanta Falcons, but they chose to hire then-Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris instead.

While Belichick might be Jones' first choice to replace McCarthy (if it comes to that), the same cannot be said for many Cowboys fans. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who coached circles around Mike Zimmer on Sunday and Texans OC Bob Slowik are two prominent head coach candidates that would arguably be a smarter hire than Belichick.

It's all a matter of preference.

What is abundantly clear, though, is that Belichick speculation is only going to heat up more with each Cowboys loss. Considering that Dallas has been uncompetitive in multiple games already, there's no telling how many more games they will lose.

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