In 2024, the pressure on Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy could be even more intense.
McCarthy is having a lame duck season after winning the NFC East and being told by Jerry Jones to move on from last season, when he suffered a 48-32 loss to the Packers in the NFC Wild Card. .
McCarthy will coach the final year of his contract, with no guarantees beyond that, according to a bombshell April 17 report by ESPN's Seth Wickersham and Don Van Natta Jr. Former New England Patriots six-time Super Bowl champion head coach Bill Belichick has been appointed. He would love the opportunity to coach the Cowboys.
“He had told close friends that he was interested in coaching the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants,” Wickersham and Van Natta wrote of Belichick.
There was speculation this offseason that there was varying degrees of mutual interest between Belichick and Dallas before Jones announced that McCarthy would return to the Cowboys sideline this fall without a contract extension. was.
“Belichick and Jerry Jones have been friends for decades,” Van Natta and Wickersham note. “And both are in win-now mode. When it comes to turning a talented roster into a championship team, there's no one better than Belichick.
“Belichick told a friend that he liked the idea of continuing to protect his craft by working under Jones. But despite Jones' loud and loud vows to “go all in” this offseason, When it comes to coaches, they hate change. After Dallas lost badly in the wild card round, he quickly decided to let Mike McCarthy coach the final year of his contract. ”
Jerry Jones on relationship with Bill Belichick: 'I love him'
Belichick and the New England Patriots mutually agreed to part ways three days after the Packers handed the Cowboys another disappointing postseason exit, but Jones ultimately promised to bring McCarthy back for at least another year. did.
But Jones isn't closing the door on eventually bringing Belichick to Dallas.
“I know him personally and I like him,” Jones told Yahoo Sports' Jolie Epstein in January. “I have no doubt that we can work together. None. None.”
Belichick was traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a vacancy, negotiated with the Washington Commanders and hired former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, but ultimately decided to remain on the outside for the 2024 season. became.
Belichick has no plans for 2025, given that the Cowboys, Nick Sirianni's Philadelphia Eagles, and Brian Daboll's New York Giants face varying degrees of coaching uncertainty beyond 2024. may have a legitimate chance to achieve their dream of landing in the NFC East.
Key player running back for the Cowboys?
As the 2024 NFL Draft approaches in late April, the Cowboys have a myriad of needs, most notably adding quality to their offensive line and potentially upgrading their linebacking corps.
However, given the lack of an all-down running back even after signing Royce Freeman to a one-year deal, the Cowboys could look to make an immediate upgrade to their backfield early in this year's draft.
Pro Football Focus' April 15 mock draft prediction was exactly that, with the Cowboys selecting running back Jonathan Brooks from the University of Texas with the 56th overall pick in the second round.
“Dallas will bring back a top pick in the draft to fill that need,” PFF's Sam Monson wrote. “Brooks is recovering from a knee injury, but there's a good chance he'll be ready to perform at 100% by Week 1.”
Brooks is working his way back from a torn ACL suffered last November, as he averaged 6.1 yards per carry on 187 rushing attempts last season for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns. There is enough instantaneous power.
