NFL Rumors: Cowboys ideal Mike McCarthy replacement isn’t Bill Belichick for 2025

After an embarrassing loss during the NFL’s Super Wild Card Weekend that saw the Dallas Cowboys become the first No. 2 seed to be eliminated by a No. 7-seeded team since the implementation of the current playoff format, many expected Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to move on from head coach Mike McCarthy.

Since then, Jones and the Cowboys have elected to retain McCarthy for the 2024 campaign, but with a caveat. 

According to ESPN’s Senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, McCarthy “is not expected to receive any sort of extension” from the Cowboys, meaning that he will be coaching on an expiring contract next season.

Despite leading the Cowboys to three straight 12-win seasons, McCarthy’s success is ultimately measured by whether or not he can deliver a Super Bowl to Dallas. So, if the Cowboys reach the playoffs next season only to flounder again, McCarthy will be as good as gone.

With that in mind and the recent developments of former New Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, who seems to be waiting until 2025 to coach again following the Atlanta Falcons’ decision to hire Raheem Morris to be their next head coach, Jones could already be eyeing McCarthy’s replacement.

However, Dallas’ ideal replacement for McCarthy may be someone other than the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach in light of Tuesday’s news that Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson will stay in his role for 2024.

NFL Rumors: Could the Dallas Cowboys and Ben Johnson sync up for 2025?

Jones recently went on the record to say that the Cowboys will be going “all in” for the 2024 campaign. In other words, if McCarthy doesn’t win a Super Bowl next season, he will be finding someone else who can get the job done for 2025. 

Johnson was a hot name in each of the past two coaching cycles after playing a crucial role in revamping the Lions' offense and helping them reach their first conference championship game in over 30 years this season.

However, he has now taken himself out of consideration in hopes of bringing a Super Bowl to Detroit.

Under the tutelage of Johnson the last two seasons, the Lions had one of the most productive and well-designed offenses in the NFL:

Of course, all of this hinges on a variety of things. 

First, whether or not McCarthy is extended at the end of the 2024 season. Next, Johnson and the Cowboys need to have mutual interest. Johnson will have no shortage of suitors when he explores head coaching options for 2025. 

Moreover, if it reaches a point where both Belichick and Johnson have interest in being the next coach of the Cowboys, Jones will have to make a decision -- does he want the proven commodity or the ascending candidate with no prior experience?

Does Jones prefer the old bull or the young calf?

Nonetheless, Johnson being the head coach of the Cowboys for 2025 and beyond would be more than ideal for the Dallas faithful, other than the fact that it probably means 2024 probably ended disappointingly.