Peter King Names Cowboys, Bears Among Best Options If Bill Belichick Leaves Patriots

Peter King of NBC Sports believes the Dallas Cowboys "could be in play" if Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots move on from one another in the offseason.

King wrote in his weekly column Dallas might plausibly consider a coaching change and pursue the surefire Hall of Famer "only if they don't win the division, have some sketchy outings down the stretch and go winless in the playoffs."

King also listed off the Chicago Bears, Washington Commanders and Los Angeles Chargers, though he described Chicago as a "longshot" since the organization appears destined for another reset with a different quarterback than Justin Fields.

The Cowboys would certainly be the most fascinating of the four.

Dallas is off to a 6-3 start and just demolished the New York Giants 49-17 on Sunday. The defeats to the San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles could be warning signs as it relates to the team's quest for a sixth Super Bowl title.

Should the Cowboys yet again fall flat in the playoffs, you can envision team owner deciding he's seen enough of head coach Mike McCarthy. And what better way to replace McCarthy would there be than hiring one of the winningest coaches in NFL history?

Belichick's stock has undoubtedly taken a hit in the four years after Tom Brady left the Patriots. But the 71-year-old would be maintaining something that's already built rather than assembling a contender from the ground up in Dallas.

You can't blame Cowboys fans for being skeptical about this idea given how abject New England is right now. But Belichick might be one of the best options on the table if team owner Jerry Jones was hiring a coach with a shorter window in mind.