The offseason is a mere few days away for the Dallas Cowboys. After getting embarrassed by the Philadelphia Eagles, a team with one of the five best records in the league last Sunday, the Cowboys are going to finish the season under .500 for the first time since 2020. The two seasons, both played without quarterback Dak Prescott for their majority, bookend the Dallas contract of head coach Mike McCarthy.
Hired to replace Jason Garrett, McCarthy was charged with making Dallas into annual contenders and also finding the playoff success that has avoided them even during the good seasons. The former has been achieved; three healthy quarterback years delivering three seasons of 12-5 performance. The latter has still avoided them, with just one playoff victory in five years and lackluster performances in three of their four contests.
As such, it’s more than likely time to change skippers for the Cowboys. The last hiring cycle took a while to get going, as Dallas waited over a week from the end of the regular season before hiring McCarthy. Time may be of the essence this cycle, as there could be upwards of seven or eight openings come early January. The Jets, Saints and Bears have already fired their head coaches. The Cowboys, Giants, Jaguars, and Raiders could all be in that boat. There’s even an outside chance the Bengals and 49ers are looking for new leaders for their sidelines.
And while Jerry Jones has generally focused on experience in his last four hires, where do things go this cycle?
There’s a ton of guys with various amounts of experience as coordinators, though it’s hard to envision Jones hiring a Liam Coen of Tampa, whose called plays in the NFL just for one season, or Frank Smith of Miami who hasn’t done it at all.
There are assistants who have been head coaches before, like Kliff Kingsbury and Brian Flores. There are former head coaches like Mike Vrabel, collegiate coaches like Deion Sanders and Kirby Smart, former Cowboys assistants like Kellen Moore and Wes Phillips, and that’s before the young guns like Ben Johnson, Bobby Slowik, Joe Brady and others are even mentioned.
It’s going to be a crazy upheaval in the NFL coaching ranks and if Dallas throws their hats in the ring, they will be the biggest tent at the circus.
22. Josh McCown, Minnesota Vikings QB Coach
21. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman
20. Liam Coen, OC, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
19. Ryan Grubb, Seattle Seahawks OC
18. University of Georgia head coach Kirby Smart
17. Ejiro Evero, Carolina Panthers, DC
18. Jesse Minter, Los Angeles Chargers, DC
15. Vance Joseph, Denver Broncos, DC
14. Adam Stenovich, Green Bay Packers OC
13
Cowboys current head coach Mike McCarthy
Dec 24, 2022; Arlington, Texas, USA; Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy reacts during the second half against the Philadelphia Eagles at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
It has to be given consideration, but perhaps Jones and McCarthy are a match made in heaven. McCarthy has several endearing qualities and Jones can easily be convinced to give him another shot of righting the ship.
12
Vikings OC Wes Phillips
Dec 10, 2023; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Minnesota Vikings Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips walks on the field before a game between the Vikings and the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Phillips has been instrumental in the improvement of Sam Darnold this season, and while Kevin O’Connell calls the plays, the biggest impediment to Phillips becoming a head coach was that he’s in the booth on gamedays and not down on the sideline. That changed in November.
At 45, Wade Phillips’ son who was an assistant in Dallas for seven years to start his NFL coaching career (staying on with Jason Garrett after his dad was fired) has spent three years in Minnesota. If he were to make the jump, he’d need a defensive coordinator with head coaching experience by his side, but the idea shouldn’t be outright dismissed.
11
Colorado HC Deion Sanders
Nov 30, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders (right) talks with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
After great success at Jackson State with back-to-back SWAC championships, Sanders has quickly brought Colorado from obscurity to relevancy. 1-11 the season before, Sanders brought them to 4-9 in Year 1 and 9-3 in Year 2 before losing their bowl game to BYU.
Sanders has always been given credence in this space as a real possibility and it will be interesting to see if he is as committed to his “never coach NFL” words as he claims to be.
10
Former NFL head coach Mike Vrabel
Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel reacts to a Titans penalty against the Seattle Seahawks during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. Vrabel was fired by owner Amy Adams Strunk Monday after having two losing seasons back-to-back.
Vrabel is a defensive-minded head coach who was able to achieve strong levels of success in Tennessee with a veteran QB who wasn’t well regarded (Ryan Tannehill) prior to their time together. Known as a disciplinarian, pairing him with Dak Prescott would require finding the next big thing as offensive coordinator.
Vrabel seems to fit as the coach with a ton of experience Jones is believed to prefer.
9
Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith
Nov 2, 2023; Frankfurt, Germany; Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Frank Smith at press conference at the PSD Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Grabbing from a fruitful tree is always a wise idea, and snatching Smith from under Mike McDaniel as part of the Kyle Shanahan limb system seems like a wise call. Dallas rarely uses motion at the snap and isn’t particularly good at it; and that’s literally the forte of Smith. Doesn’t currently have play-calling duties though, which could be seen as a knock.
Miami’s rough year thanks to injuries shouldn’t diminish how dominant they’ve been since he took over in 2022, ranking sixth in DVOA that year and second in 2023.
8
Comanders OC Kliff Kingsbury
Sep 29, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
It appears Kingsbury’s time away after the disaster in Arizona has done him a ton of good. The offense he’s put together in DC for rookie Jayden Daniels is quite impressive and a stark contrast to what he was doing with Kyler Murray in the desert.
That transformation may lead to him having a second opportunity not always afforded. Washington’s offense has been up and down, but they rank seventh in DVOA as the season comes to a close. Granted, Daniels offers a dual-threat nature Dallas doesn’t have, but Kingsbury could be ready for another opportunity. And damaging a division rival would be great turn about.
7
Lions DC Aaron Glenn
Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn watches practice during OTAs at Detroit Lions headquarters and practice facility in Allen Park on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
Glenn has ties to Dallas, playing two of his 15 seasons with the organization, but the growth of the Lions’ defense under his tutelage has been impressive on its own. He’s consistently being highlighted by their players as a phenomenal leader of men.
In 2020 they ranked 32nd in defensive DVOA. Since Glenn joined they moved to 29th, 27th, and 13th in 2023. At one point this year he had them ranked 3rd going into Week 15 action, but the cavalcade of injuries in the second half of the season has them a shell of themselves.
6
Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore
Sep 26, 2022; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (right) laughs with offensive coordinator Kellen Moore before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports
The Eagles milked a 10-minute fourth-quarter clock dry with a 21-play drive to seal their win over Pittsburgh. Let that sink in.
One name that is rarely discussed but probably should be is the former heir apparent Kellen Moore. Moore was Jason Garrett 2.0; brought in to the coaching staff as a wunderkind who the Jones family thought a lot of. He carried over as offensive coordinator from Garrett to McCarthy. Being shown the door in 2023 after a playoff failure as McCarthy vowed taking back over play calling would take the offense to a new level.
It did, for a year, before bottoming out in 2024, even before all of the injuries hit. Meanwhile Moore attached himself to Brandon Staley’s sinking ship in L.A. for a year, but has revitalized his reputation thanks to Saquon Barkley’s arrival in Phiadelphia. The Eagles are rolling with a throwback offense focused on running to set up the pass. Everyone knows that’s like catnip to the Jones family.
5
Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik
Dec 31, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik on the sideline during the game against the Tennessee Titans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Slowik is immensely intriguing for several reasons. He auditioned in front of Jones earlier this season and carved up a 77-yard opening play touchdown to announce his arrival. The rest of the game was a dominant run effort with a ton of big plays.
Slowik’s stock has fallen as CJ Stroud struggled to shine without his top receiving targets and behind a ridiculously bad offensive line. Slowik is from the Shanahan coaching tree that has had success at the NFL level and maybe most importantly, he used to coach defense. That combination just feels like he’d make a tremendous hire.
4
Minnesota VIkings DC Brian Flores
Jan 9, 2022; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores watches from the sideline during the second quarter of the game against the New England Patriots at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Will Flores get another shot at a head coach gig?
He was dumped by the Dolphins in their owner’s “I’m rich I can do what I want” attempt to lure Sean Payton and Tom Brady to South Beach. The revelation about trying to have a coach to tank games may have pulled the curtain back on the inner workings of the league, but it likely didn’t do Flores much favor.
What has though, is the job he’s done righting the ship in Minnesota with their defense. The relentless attacking nature of the Vikings defense where blitzing is a lifestyle is an intriguing head coach hire waiting to happen.
3
Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken
Jul 27, 2023; Owings Mills, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) smiles at a fan with Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken standing in the background following training camp practice at Under Armour Performance Center. Mandatory Credit: Brent Skeen-USA TODAY Sports
The evolution of the Ravens’ passing attack, and the under-center autonomy placed on Lamar Jackson’s shoulders over the last season and a half have been incredible. He’s one of one as a QB, but Monken deserves a ton of credit for recognizing how to unlock this team.
The 2024 Ravens, after adding Derrick Henry to the mix, now have a historic offense in terms of DVOA. Their 42.0% rating through 17 weeks is among the best ever, and it’s floated by their No. 1 36.0% offensive rating.
2
Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson
Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson watches warm up before the Dallas Cowboys game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023.
What Ben Johnson’s offense and tutelage has been able to do for Jared Goff has been amazing. In the Stafford trade, Goff was expected to be a placeholder until the Lions drafted their guy. Now the clearly limited passer is running one of the league’s best and most innovative offenses. The Lions are competing for the NFC’s best record heading into the final game of the season and are doing so with a scotch-tape defense. The offense refuses to allow this to stop them and Johnson’s creativity and aggressiveness are the primary reasons why.
There’s a rumor out there that Johnson asked for $15 million a season last cycle. That could be a baseline number, or it could’ve been a number he gave to a franchise he wasn’t truly interested in. Fans should beware taking such reports without the unavailable context.
1
Bills OC Joe Brady
Jan 8, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterbacks coach Joe Brady poses for a picture with fans prior to the game against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
The job Joe Brady has done with Buffalo offense in 2024 has been incredible. After trading away their top target in Stefon Diggs, the Bills offense went from great to elite, ramping up their production and scoring.
After the strong work at LSU with Joe Burrow, Brady has been throwing haymakers in the NFL the last three seasons coordinating the Josh Allen Buffalo Bills. The Bills finished second in offensive DVOA in 2022, third in 2023 and are currently second in 2024.
