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Is Bill Belichick gunning for the Dallas Cowboys' head coaching job?
On Wednesday, ESPN published an in-depth acount of the former New England Patriots tactician's ultimately-failed 2024 job hunt that culminated in the Atlanta Falcons snubbing him for Raheem Morris. In it, he has been said to be considering applying for three teams, all in the same division, for 2025 - once he completes a season's sabbatical doing analysis for Omaha Productions, Peyton Manning's media company.
One of them is the Dallas Cowboys, with a friend saying:
"I don't think Bill Belichick will ever be a head coach again in the National Football League. Unless it's [for] Jerry Jones."
Most fans were immediately stunned at the prospect of Belichick heading to Arlington, noting that his ego and hands-on approach to the roster would be a problem for owner Jerry Jones:
Others, meanwhile, claimed that it had been the plan from the start:
"Said it before… he’s coaching the Cowboys next year…" said one fan.
"The way he talked on the McAfee show basically laid out Dallas situation and draft pick basically drafting for him next year," said another.
"Jerry would be stupid not to hire him," a third quipped.
Ironically enough, the Cowboys had also been mooted as a possibility in that same feature. However, owner Jerry Jones ultimately announced that he would be keeping Mike McCarthy for the last season of his contract even after their blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round.
Did Patriots owner Robert Kraft sabotage Bill Belichick's 2024 job prospects?
When one reads the full feature on Bill Belichick's failed job hunt, a familiar name recurs: Patriots owner Robert Kraft.
After the Cowboys were ruled out, the Washington Commanders became a strong candidate, given the former Patriot's ties to Maryland and minority owner Magic Johnson's endorsement of him. But majority owner Josh Harris had a differing power structure that favored a strong general manager over a strong head coach; and that was exemplified by the man he had hired, former New England Patriots scout Adam Peters. Dan Quinn would eventually get the job.
Soon, only the Falcons were left. But shortly after owner Arthur Blank reportedly met the coach onboard his yacht, Kraft made a call "to warn him not to trust Bill," given how their relationship had immensely broken down throughout their team's dynasty.
However, Patriots spokesperson Stacey James, denied the reports, saying Kraft had actually lobbied for Belichick to apply for the Atlanta job.
"Robert Kraft never questioned Bill's character or trust when talking with Arthur Blank. Trust is important to Robert. He wouldn't have employed Coach Belichick for the past 24 years if he ever questioned his trust."
Meanwhile, Yahoo Sports' Dan Wetzel made a scathing criticism of Kraft for reportedly throwing his former coach under the bus.
"Kraft should have been out there trying to drum up support for Belichick. He should have been his hype man. Instead, it seems like his loyalty was to his fellow billionaires, not (to) the coach who did so much for him and his organization."
Belichick plans to travel abroad, speak to football programs nationwide, and write a book on football leadership this year, according to the article.
