New Bill Belichick coaching rumor is blessing in disguise for the Cowboys
By Jerry Trotta
The Dallas Cowboys lost in heartbreaking fashion to the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday night, but you'd be hard-pressed to blame Mike McCarthy for it.
While some of McCarthy's game management was frustrating, like abandoning Rico Dowdle on certain drives, he called a good game. Being that McCarthy is in the final year of his contract, though, his future will be discussed after every Cowboys loss.
It looks increasingly likely that McCarthy will be back in 2025. Troy Aikman gave McCarthy a ringing endorsement on 105.3 The Fan's pregame show Monday night. Numerous players, including Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons, have stated they want McCarthy to get another season.
Despite that, the allure of Bill Belichick might be too tempting for Jerry Jones to resist. It's been reported at various points this season that folks within the league believe Belichick will be Dallas' next head coach.
It has seemed like a foregone conclusion, but it may be falling by the wayside as Belichick mulls a shocking move to North Carolina.
Cowboys missing out on Bill Belichick would be a blessing in disguise
It was reported on Tuesday that Belichick agreed to take the UNC job, but The Athletic's Dianna Russini shot it down, saying there are still hurdles that need clearing. Per Russini, "nothing is imminent" and Belichick and the university are apart on multiple key terms.
Russini added that a deal could come together quickly. It seems that the ball is in Belichick's court, but the Tar Heels have made their intentions clear.
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Belichick has never coached at the college level, but between recruiting and NIL money he would likely be given utmost influence over UNC's personnel decisions. That is extremely important to the six-time Super Bowl champion and why many consider him a non-starter for certain NFL teams.
It's unclear how much leeway if any, Jones would give Belichick in roster decisions. For better or worse (definitely worse), Jones likes to be in control. That would create a potential power struggle between the head coach and general manager. Nobody wants that.
It is worth noting that McCarthy revealed last week that he's had more NFL Draft influence with Dallas than he did with the Packers. At the same time, though, McCarthy has expressed frustration at various points with the team's roster construction.
Belichick just might not be what the Cowboys' need. While his status as a coaching legend goes without saying, hiring Belichick means Prescott would be working with his third play-caller in four seasons. Do Cowboys fans really want Josh McDaniels taking over the offense? Because that's almost a foregone conclusion if Belichick gets the job.
For all of Belichick's success, he hasn't won a playoff game since 2018. CeeDee Lamb wasn't even draft-eligible at that point.
That's not to say we would throw a fit if Dallas hired Belichick. He's among the top candidates available. However, he may have lost his fastball as a head coach and his final drafts in New England set the franchise back multiple years.
The Cowboys would be better off if Belichick took the UNC job so Jones isn't even tempted to throw the kitchen sink at him.