Patriots

One potential landing spot for Belichick in Dallas won’t be an option with Mike McCarthy sticking around.

Bill Belichick plans on coaching somewhere for the 2024 season and beyond.

But the future Hall of Famer’s options following his exit from the Patriots seem to be dwindling.

Following the Cowboys’ stunning loss to the seventh-seeded Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round last weekend on Sunday, many assumed that outspoken Dallas owner Jerry Jones was planning on firing incumbent head coach Mike McCarthy after yet another disappointing finish.

And with Jones desperately looking for ways to put his franchise over the top — and Belichick just 15 wins away from surpassing Don Shula for the most wins all-time — joining a Dallas roster featuring nine All-Pro selections seemed like a logical move for all parties. 

But Dallas apparently isn’t interested in entertaining interviews with Belichick or any other coach out on the open market. 

In a statement released by the Cowboys on Wednesday night, Jones acknowledged that McCarthy will return as Dallas’ head coach for the 2024 season. 

“I believe this team is very close and capable of achieving our ultimate goals and the best step forward for us will be with Mike McCarthy as our head coach,” Jones said. “There is great benefit to continuing the team’s progress under Mike’s leadership as our head coach.

“Specifically, there are many layers of success that have occurred this season as a result of Mike’s approach to leading the team, both with individual players and with our team collectively. Mike has the highest regular season winning percentage of any head coach in Cowboys history and we will dedicate ourselves, in partnership with him, to translating that into reaching our post season goals. Certainly, Mike’s career has demonstrated postseason success at a high level, and we have great confidence that can continue.”

Another appealing option for Belichick with a talented Philadelphia Eagles roster may also not be on the table.

According to Philadelphia sports radio host Howard Eskin, Belichick is not viewed as a viable option for Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie should he decide to move on from Nick Sirianni following a disastrous end to Philly’s 2023 season. 

“Are there good coaches available?” Eskin rhetorically asked during a Tuesday segment on 94WIP radio’s “Middays With Hugh Douglas And Joe Giglio.” “

‘Belicheat’ is not one of them,” Eskin added. “And I can tell you this for a fact, Jeff Lurie is not a fan of ‘Belicheat’. I can tell you that. I know that.”

According to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, both Sirianni and Eagles GM Howie Roseman have already begun planning for the 2024 season by evaluating potential coordinator candidates for their staff. However, Russini added that Sirianni has yet to meet with Lurie to discuss his future following the Eagles’ lopsided playoff loss to the Buccaneers. 

If both the Cowboys and Eagles are not viable options for Belichick, all signs point to the Atlanta Falcons as a logical landing spot for the legendary head coach. 

Belichick has already had a formal interview with the Falcons, with ESPN’s Dan Graziano tabbing Belichick as the “clear favorite” to replace Arthur Smith as the team’s head coach in his latest column posted on Wednesday.