Shocking team could ruin Cowboys' dream of Bill Belichick replacing Mike McCarthy

It would be an understatement to say that Jerry Jones shocked the NFL landscape when he chose to retain Mike McCarthy as head coach after the Dallas Cowboys suffered arguably their worst playoff loss in franchise history.

The Cowboys opted not to give McCarthy a contract extension, which means he's entering the 2024 in a lame-duck year. That seldom works out for head coaches. Even a one-year extension would not only alleviate pressure on McCarthy, but it would loosen up the locker room as well.

If McCarthy fails to take Dallas on a deep postseason run this season, it's widely assumed he'll be fired. Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is many fans' top choice to succeed McCarthy, but Bill Belichick might be the presumptive favorite given his strong relationship with Jerry Jones.

It will be easier said than done for Jones to fulfill his Belichick dream, however. The former longtime Patriots head coach will be a hot commodity in the 2025 hiring cycle and a stunning new team has been mentioned as a possible suitor.

Cowboys should be wary of Bills in possible Bill Belichick pursuit

On a recent episode of The Herd, FS1's Colin Cowherd mentioned the Cowboys, Eagles and Bills as Belichick's most likely destinations. McCarthy's lack of security is apparent, and Philadelphia reportedly discussed replacing Nick Sirianni with Belichick after the 2023 season.

Cowherd including the Bills is the chief takeaway, however. He believes Buffalo could experience regression this year in a loaded AFC. They traded away Stefon Diggs and salary cap restrictions forced them to part with some key veterans in free agency.

"I think Sean McDermott, without being on the hot seat, there is a sense that you can't just win the division again," said Cowherd. "You've got to have higher standards. I know Buffalo's a small market, if they win 10 games and go 10-7, they win a playoff game, everybody goes, ‘Maybe next year.' But I feel like there's an underlying heat on Sean McDermott. I don't care what his contract status is. All those contracts are rounding errors for billionaire owners at this point."

It's important to note that Cowherd is just speculating, but there's seemingly always a sleeping giant during the pursuit of a coveted coaching candidate.

McDermott has compiled a 73-41 record in seven seasons at the helm in Buffalo, but he's just 5-6 in the playoffs. 2020 appeared to mark the start of a dominant run for the Bills when they took Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to overtime in the AFC Title Game. However, they've lost in the Divisional Round every year since and their three wins came against the Mac-Jones-led-Patriots, a Dolphins team that was down to its third-string QB and a Steelers team that started Mason Rudolph at quarterback.

While McDermott signed a contract extension last January through the 2027 season, another premature playoff exit could prompt Buffalo to move in a different direction. The Bills can't afford more "almost" seasons while Josh Allen is still in his prime. Belichick could be the man to get the AFC East champs over the hump.

It would be stunning if the Cowboys and Bills went head-to-head to hire Belichick, but anything is possible in the NFL.

The latest Cowboys news and analysis