The 71-year-old has been in charge since 2000 and oversaw their golden era of dominance, along with quarterback Tom Brady, as they dominated the Super Bowl and AFC East.

Four years after Brady‘s retirement, however, and the Patriots sit bottom of the division with a dismal 4-12 record to their name.

It has been suggested that the legendary football coach could leave the sport altogether and retire, or join a rival team if he is fired by the franchise’s owner, Robert Kraft.

During his appearance on FS1’s “The Herd,” Edelman appeared to dismiss the idea of Belichick agreeing a deal with the Carolina Panthers – and instead floated a possible link-up of Belichick and Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in Dallas.

“What about Dallas? What if Mike McCarthy gets knocked out of the playoffs early? Bill over there with that top 10 offensive line and talent … they’d at least be fundamentally sound,” Edelman said, via Cowboys Country.

“McCarthy gets a lot of penalties and that clock management… in the game against the Lions the moment just looked too big.”

Cowboys could move for Belichick

Belichick and Pats supremo Kraft are set to sit down for talks on Monday, after their final regular season game against the New York Jets, to discuss his future.

A report from ESPN suggested there is a strong possibility of Belichick ending his 23-year association with the Patriots, with Kraft said to be deeply upset with their recent results.

Ben Volin of The Boston Globe reported that it could take “several weeks” for New England to make a decision, with Belichick keen to remain in the role.

And if they do pull the trigger on his departure, the Cowboys could be lying in wait. Their coach Mike McCarthy has guided them to a record of 11-5 this season, but there are doubts he can guide them to Super Bowl success with a 1-2 record in postseason.

Belichick‘s record in that regard is untouchable, and it remains to be seen whether general manager Jerry Jones would make a bold change if the experienced boss becomes available.