Scott Zolak Starting To ‘Assume’ Bill Belichick Will Land With This Team

Scott Zolak wouldn't be surprised if Bill Belichick returns to the New England Patriots. But the former Patriots quarterback and current radio broadcaster also wouldn't be shocked if Belichick departs New England at the end of the 2023 campaign.

Where might Belichick end up, though? Zolak on Tuesday pointed to the Dallas Cowboys and said "everybody" he has talked with assumes Belichick will be Jerry Jones' next head coach.

"I'm just saying, well, if everybody assumes it. Everybody I talk to assumes it," Zolak said on 98.5 The Sports Hub's "Zolak & Bertrand."

"I don't know nothing. Nothing would really shock me. If he comes back, that wouldn't shock me. That would be you're getting a clearance in your scouting department, in your front office. That's getting cleaned out, if he comes back there's reason he's back."

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Zolak isn't the first to tie Belichick to the Cowboys. Mike McCarthy, who is in his fourth season with the franchise, reportedly is nearing the end of his contract. Jones on Tuesday expressed a desire to retain McCarthy and complimented him and his coaching staff for an "outstanding" job.

But the potential of a crash-and-burn playoff exit still has many believing McCarthy's future with the organization is not set in stone. Zolak, who noted Belichick's relationship with former Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells, is among them.

"… They (Cowboys) will lose a game that counts, a divisional game, or something like that because of coaching," Zolak said.

The Los Angeles Chargers currently are viewed as the top destination for a coach on the open market. But there's no debating the Cowboys, if they move on from McCarthy, would jump to the top of the list.

"To me, it's starting to shape up Dallas. You see the Dallas swoon starting to begin," Zolak said. "They got their (expletive) kicked by Buffalo two days ago. Buffalo did what they wanted with them. You line it up and you look at them, they got a big offensive line, good running back, marquee quarterback. You got good receivers. You got good cover guys. You got Lawrence Taylor Jr. in No. 11 (Micah Parsons). You got a big defensive line and good safeties.

"It’s turnkey for Bill," Zolak continued. "And he went right over in pregame and shook the hands of Jerry Jones and Stephen Jones."

Zolak's opinion comes less than a week after NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran reported that Patriots owner Robert Kraft has made the decision he will move on from Belichick. However, NFL Media's Ian Rapoport shared a contradicting report, stating the decision has not yet been made.