Bold predictions for 2024 NFL season: Bears, Jets end playoff droughts; Chiefs three-peat!

4) The Cowboys lose the NFC East, make an early playoff exit, fire Mike McCarthy and hire Bill Belichick for 2025. This doesn’t even really seem like that bold a prediction. The Cowboys have had a startlingly quiet offseason, while the Eagles have upgraded their roster. The Cowboys have enough talent, including Dak Prescott, to make the playoffs as a wild card, but with another early playoff exit in the offing, Jerry Jones does what many expected him to do this offseason: let Mike McCarthy go. McCarthy is coaching in the final year of his contract, so that won’t even be a surprise. Neither will Jones hiring Bill Belichick. It’s still bizarre that Belichick doesn’t have an NFL job, and it feels a little like owners overthought things a little bit. If you have a talented roster and need someone to address details and mindset, Belichick is your guy. He won’t coach for long — maybe a few years — but Jones can figure out a succession plan after he finally hoists another Lombardi Trophy.