Who is lined up to be the next Cowboys head coach? According to Vegas, there’s already a favorite.
Mike McCarthy entered Sunday among the top betting favorites to be the first NFL coach fired this season.
DALLAS — With every Cowboys loss, head coach Mike McCarthy moves closer to unemployment. That’s not an exaggeration; McCarthy has no contract for next season, so the team’s 2024 performance will directly affect his job security.
At least, that’s the assumption.
Despite another home loss on Sunday, 28-25 to the Ravens, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score suggests, owner Jerry Jones didn’t go nuclear on McCarthy.
Although Jones has a reputation for quickly firing coaches, that hasn’t been his usual approach. Wade Phillips is the only coach he’s let go midseason, and he stuck with Jason Garrett for a tumultuous 10 seasons.
Still, speculation abounds on social media and at sportsbooks: Will Jerry fire McCarthy? And if so, who will replace him?
McCarthy was among the favorites to be fired first this season, with Giants’ Brian Daboll, Bengals’ Zac Taylor, Bears’ Matt Eberflus, and Jets’ Robert Saleh listed higher, per Bookies.com.
With Daboll and Saleh both winning this week, Taylor playing Monday, and the Bears showing progress with Caleb Williams, McCarthy’s odds of being fired may have risen.
(Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, also mentioned as being on the hot seat, won Sunday against the Saints.)
Ultimately, the hot seat’s shifts may not matter for McCarthy, as Jones isn’t likely to fire him unless things worsen (and that could happen). The intriguing chatter in Cowboys circles and sportsbooks is about who might replace McCarthy.
The name generating the most buzz: Bill Belichick.
Bet US listed Belichick at even odds to coach the Cowboys in 2025. The Jets were the second-most likely option, at +350.
Even odds suggest the sportsbook views Belichick coaching Dallas as a tossup, which is rare for a futures coaching hire.
Belichick, 72, would be 73 by next season and isn’t coaching this year after leaving the Patriots. He’s a six-time Super Bowl champion, but it’s unclear if he’s eager to return to coaching.
With the Cowboys’ history of big splashes, including hiring Belichick’s mentor, Bill Parcells, nothing is off the table.
