Things havenāt gone to plan for the New England Patriots since Tom Brady left in 2020, which is why Bill Belichick seems to be on the hot seat. According to Scott Zolak, who spent nine seasons in Foxborough before becoming a broadcaster, the six-time Super Bowl champion will end up with the Dallas Cowboys.
āIām just saying, well, if everybody assumes it. Everybody I talk to assumes it,ā Zolak said on 98.5 The Sports Hubās āZolak & Bertrand,ā via NESN. āThey will lose a game that counts, a divisional game, or something like that because of coaching.ā
The Cowboys are in their fourth year under Mike McCarthy, and while his job looks safe for now, everything could change if Dallas suffer another early playoff elimination. The team was doing just fine until last week, when it suffered a terrible loss at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.
āTo me, itās starting to shape up Dallas. You see the Dallas swoon starting to begin,ā Zolak said. āThey 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.ā
Head coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots walks off the field after losing to the Los Angeles Chargers 6-0 at Gillette Stadium on December 03, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Belichick could return to New England only as HC
Belichick has been heavily linked with a possible departure from New England as the franchise has done poorly without Brady, but his championship pedigree still makes him a top candidate for other teams in the league. Anyway, his return to Gillette Stadium in 2024 remains a possibility.
āI donāt know nothing. Nothing would really shock me. If he comes back, that wouldnāt shock me,ā Zolak added. āThat would be youāre getting a clearance in your scouting department, in your front office. Thatās getting cleaned out, if he comes back thereās reason heās back.ā
What seems to be on the cards is the end of Belichickās role as general manager, though it remains to be seen whether heāll accept to continue working as a head coach with another guy in the front office.
Jerry Jones heaps massive praise on Mike McCarthy
As for the Cowboys, while a successful coach like Belichick could be interesting for a franchise craving for a long-awaited Super Bowl, team owner Jerry Jones suggested theyāre fine with McCarthy.
āWell, heās coached three playoff teams in a row. I think heās done an outstanding job,ā Jones said when asked about a contract extension for McCarthy on 105.3 The FAN, via Michael Gehlken. āI think the fact that heās your offensive coordinator as well as your head coach puts him in higher stead than when he was the walk-around coach. All of those things are positive.
āI frankly said to the staff yesterday, āYou got us in this spot to be as disappointed as we are about the Buffalo deal and our loss there. Itās your fault because yāall have done such a great job of getting our team to where we, our fans, everybody have the expectations that we have. You pushed us up here. ā¦Hats off to you.ā In other words, I didnāt spend my day in there looking grumpy or however you might look, even though we were all disappointed. The best part of our team this year has been the coaching staff.ā
The Patriots are going through one of their worst seasons in years, sitting bottom of the AFC East at 3-11. Therefore, the franchise will definitely have to make big decisions this offseason. The question is whether one of them will be to remove Belichick.
His job has been under scrutiny since New England struggled to succeed without Brady, but other teams desperate to win will probably focus on his six Super Bowl rings instead. In that case, another playoff crash could make the Cowboys a team to watch.
