Bill Belichick presumably will have options if the New England Patriots move on from the legendary head coach.
Several teams already have head-coaching vacancies, and more positions could open up depending on what happens in the NFL playoffs.
Would a team like the Dallas Cowboys, for instance, consider replacing their current head coach with Belichick if they fail to win the Super Bowl or advance deep into the postseason?
The Athletic’s Mike Sando on Monday looked at where Belichick and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh might land this NFL offseason. He predicted Belichick will go to the Atlanta Falcons and Harbaugh will leave the college ranks to join the Los Angeles Chargers.
But an NFL executive floated Dallas as another potential landing spot for Belichick, which obviously would be a bold move by Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
“Belichick to Dallas is my sleeper,” the exec told Sando, “but I’d make Atlanta the odds-on favorite for Bill, and the Chargers the odds-on favorite for Harbaugh.”
The Cowboys, owners of the NFC’s No. 2 seed, have an opportunity to make noise in the playoffs, which almost certainly would lead to Dallas retaining head coach Mike McCarthy. But Belichick seemingly has a good relationship with Jones. Perhaps an early postseason exit would change the calculus.
The Falcons, meanwhile, are a more natural fit after firing head coach Arthur Smith following their season-ending loss to the New Orleans Saints. They have a talented roster and play in a weak division. Adding Belichick and a competent quarterback could put Atlanta on the fast track to success.
Of course, all of this is contingent upon the Patriots moving on from Belichick, which seems likely but wasn’t etched in stone as of Tuesday night.
