Former Patriots star predicts where Bill Belichick will coach in 2025

Former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick reportedly "intends to coach in 2025" and may be "interested" in joining the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles or New York Giants come January.

Retired cornerback Asante Samuel played under Belichick with New England and believes Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones may already be planning for the departure of current Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy.

"Jerry Jones, he loves his players, he treats them right," Samuel said during a recent ESPN Radio appearance, as shared by Lauren Campbell of MassLive. "Something’s going on this year. And I think that leads to next year, to say Bill Belichick will be the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys."

Something is definitely "going on" with a Cowboys side that is about to enter a lame-duck season with both McCarthy and quarterback Dak Prescott set to be out of contract following the campaign. Additionally, star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has been staging a summer holdout amid his desire for an extension, but it appears Lamb could put pen to paper on a deal sooner rather than later.

It was reported in January that the Cowboys and Eagles "expressed interest in Belichick, that Belichick didn’t reciprocate, and that those teams then decided to stick with their current coaches." Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is likely on the hot seat following his team's collapse late last season, so Jones may have to beat Philadelphia in a race for Belichick's signature this coming winter.

"It ultimately comes down to Jerry Jones," Samuel continued. "And Jerry Jones wants to win a (Super) Bowl. For him to get that Bowl, his options are running out. And that last option for him to make this thing come to light is Bill Belichick."

Jones is 81 years old, and his Cowboys haven't played in a conference championship game since they won Super Bowl XXX in January 1996. As much as he may want Belichick to serve as a franchise savior next year, logic suggests the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach wouldn't want to take over for a club with an unsettled quarterback situation.

Then again, Belichick may already have a replacement for Prescott in mind if Jones doesn't want to pay the 31-year-old.