Mike Florio Suggests Darkhorse Landing Spot For Bill Belichick

Could Bill Belichick leave one of the most successful franchises in NFL history for one with an even bigger brand?

"It's not as crazy as it sounds," says Mike Florio. The Pro Football Talk founder on Wednesday published a column in which he outlined why Belichick becoming the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys isn't a totally reckless idea. It might be tough to justify parting ways with Mike McCarthy at this juncture, but Florio believes there's some writing on the wall.

For starters, there's a mutual respect. As Florio pointed out, Belichick stressed the respect he has for Jerry and Stephen Jones before the Patriots and the Cowboys met at AT&T Stadium in early October. And as The Athletic's Jon Machota pointed out back in 2019, Jerry Jones admitted he still thinks about his decision not to hire Belichick after the latter was fired by the Cleveland Browns in February 1996.

Again, there's a good chance the Cowboys job won't even be available this offseason. McCarthy should maintain his duties if Dallas stages a deep playoff run, which is very much on the table after America's Team won the NFC East and secured the second seed in the conference. As of Wednesday afternoon, Dak Prescott and company owned the fourth-shortest odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win it all.

But the NFL is a crazy business, one where we should expect the unexpected. And in the event McCarthy is shown the door in Dallas, Belichick probably could expect a phone call from the Jones family as long as he doesn't stick around in Foxboro, Mass.