The Cowboys are still considered favorites to land Bill Belichick; but would it be wise? | From @ReidDHanson
When Bill Belichick left New England over the offseason the Cowboys were one of the first teams mentioned as a possible destination. Dallas was coming off a postseason implosion against the lower-seeded Packers, and head coach Mike McCarthy had just a season left on his deal. A coaching change in Dallas wasn’t just possible, it was kind of expected.
As luck would have it, McCarthy was able to hold on in Dallas another year. The Cowboys front office opted to roll it all back for one more year in 2024 and that meant letting McCarthy serve out the entirety of his contract with the dreaded lame duck status ominously looming over him.
Belichick, widely considered a surefire Hall of Famer, inexplicably signed with no one. The legendary coach set his sights on 2025 to resume his coaching career, with the Cowboys, once again, serving as a favorite landing spot to onlookers. Jeff Howe from The Athletic recently called the Cowboys “the obvious connection.”
From Belichick’s point of view, he needs to find a team built to win now. At age 73, he’s probably not interested in a complete rebuild. He’s just 15 wins away from passing Don Shula on the all-time wins list, which, provided Dak Prescott is retained, is a feat he could easily achieve in less than two seasons with the Cowboys.
From the Cowboys point of view, Belichick would add legitimacy back to the coaching ranks in Dallas. Jerry Jones has long been accused of hiring “yes men” at head coach. Presumably soured by the Jimmy Johnson experience, the impression is Jones wants to ensure he receives the bulk of the credit the next time ultimate success is achieved. Whether that’s fact or fiction is difficult to say but it’s a widely held perception he’s been fighting since the turn of the century.
He pushed back on this roughly 20-years ago when shocked the world by bringing in Bill Parcells. Belichick would put those same “puppet” accusations to bed if he were brought in to follow the ever-pleasing McCarthy in 2025.
As was the case with Parcells, it would require compromise on both sides to make such a marriage work. The Cowboys’ personnel department has been far more successful finding talent than Belichick has been since taking a leadership role in personnel in New England. They would need to retain that power. At the same time Belichick would have to be king of the kingdom in matters of final roster and playing time. The front office would have to back off.
In other words, the front office would be in charge of buying the groceries, but they would have to get out of the kitchen completely when it was time for Belichick to cook dinner.
On a short-term basis, Jones and Belichick could easily use their friendship to make a working relationship work. Considering the term would only be in the 2–3-year range, it’s not asking too much of them.
Whether or not the marriage would be beneficial for both parties is a different story. Barring major injury, a Prescott-led Cowboys squad would surely push Belichick over the top by 2026. Even if they couldn’t find success in the postseason, Belichick would come out of the union a winner based on his all-time win record.
The Cowboys, on the other hand, may not be much better off. Belichick would offer toughness, preparedness and postseason strategy to a team that’s seemed to lack all three elements. But as a defensive minded coach his success has been largely based on Tom Brady’s awesomeness on the offensive side of the ball. For as good as Prescott is, he’s no Brady.
Prescott needs a coach helping him in the postseason, not leaning on him. Therefore, an offensive minded coach is probably the better option for the Cowboys. Then again, there’s no telling who the Joneses would consider at head coach after McCarthy anyway.
Oftentimes the candidates come out of the recycle bin. When McCarthy was hired, the alternatives being considered weren’t exactly inspiring. Ben Johnson or Bobby Slowik seem like great options for the Cowboys if they are indeed hunting for a head coach next offseason. But if the list of candidates doesn’t include them but rather features a series of defensive coaches and retreads, maybe Belichick is the best option.
One thing is clear – the Cowboys and Belichick is a very real connection for a reason. Both sides can make it work and both sides have something to gain from the other; wins for Belichick and street cred for the Joneses.
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