NFC Notes: Bill Belichick, Mike McCarthy, Jerry Jones, Cowboys, Eagles

Commanders

• FOX Sports Ralph Vacchiano says before Lions OC Ben Johnson dropped out, Cowboys DC Dan Quinn and Seahawks DC Mike Macdonald were considered by sources to be “real sleepers” to get the Commanders’ head coaching job. Since then, Seattle hired Macdonald and Washington settled on Quinn. 
• Vacchiano adds there were no indications the Commanders are interested in opening up the search to include former Patriots HC Bill Belichick or former Titans HC Mike Vrabel.
• In fact, multiple team sources refuted any interest in Belichick, telling Vacchiano there were concerns about Belichick’s age, ability to work with new GM Adam Peters and whether he’d sign up for a rebuild. 
• Vacchiano mentions while Commanders OC Eric Bieniemy didn’t seem to be a serious candidate to get the head coaching job, he could be retained on a new coaching staff. 
• Per ESPN’s John Keim, former GM Martin Mayhew is expected to remain with the Commanders in a role that is yet to be determined. He worked with Peters in San Francisco. 
• Nicki Jhabvala reports senior Commanders executive Marty Hurney could also remain with the team in an unknown capacity.

Cowboys

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said keeping HC Mike McCarthy under contract for the final year of his deal in 2024 was not something he had to deliberate a long time over.

“This is not a ‘talk yourself into it,'” Jones said, via Nick Harris of the team’s site. “It obviously gives you a lot of things to consider and think about. Everybody has options. This is one I’m very comfortable with. I felt good during the year with the job that Mike was doing. The team was responding well. We were all disappointed that we didn’t win that Green Bay game. We had visions of a lot better than that, we all did. But there are things there that we can take forward.”

Jones believes Dak Prescott can improve and expects him to continue hitting higher levels. 

“I think you can look on all three phases and see that we’ve got room for improvement,” Jones said. “The thing that I would emphasize more than anything is that Dak has room for improvement and not just the scheme around him, but Dak can improve. That’s a big plus when you’ve been playing the game for seven years and, by assessment, have some room to get better in. I expect him to do it next year and the next year.”

Jones said Prescott has gotten better under McCarthy and it only made sense to pair them together for another year. 

“We’re right at a key spot with Dak,” Jones said. “Dak has improved since Mike [McCarthy] has been here, and I think we can look forward to that improvement. There’s more there to get in terms of Dak’s improvement with Mike. The evidence points to that. With more to get there, more pluses on Dak, that impacts a lot of other things that we’re doing right now with the decisions we’re making so it all makes sense to have [McCarthy] back.”

• Per Nick Eatman, the Cowboys are up to ten total Pro Bowlers, with TE Jake Ferguson, DE DeMarcus Lawrence, and G Tyler Smith being named as replacements. One of the players being replaced is injured Cowboys G Zack Martin.
• Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the team is all in for 2024: “We will be going all in. I would say that you will see us this coming year not build it for the future.” (Clarence Hill)

Eagles

• While the Eagles were reportedly hiring Seahawks DB coach Karl Scott to their staff, 24/7 Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports he’s now expected to be retained as a senior defensive assistant under new HC Mike Macdonald.
• The Eagles announced QB Jalen Hurts and CB Darius Slay have been named to the Pro Bowl as replacements.
• North Carolina Central QB Davius Richard, who participated in the Hula Bowl and HBCU Bowl, has met with the Eagles among other teams. (Ryan Fowler)