What Micah Parsons wants to discuss with Jerry Jones while attending Cotton Bowl together :: The Athletic
Parsons and Jones are planning to watch Friday’s Cotton Bowl together at AT&T Stadium. But it will be far from just a casual hang, if Parsons has his way. He says he’ll be grilling his boss on specific plans for bouncing back from a disappointing 2024. “I hope he asks me things, too,” Parsons added. “Jerry has always been so great to me in every aspect. It’s going to be great to talk to the guy that kind of believed in me first to see what the mission is and how we’re going to accomplish it to make us happy and really make the fans happy.”
AT&T Stadium prepping for Cotton Bowl despite wintry forecast :: Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic
Denied! Cowboys don’t grant Bears interview request for McCarthy, here’s what it could mean :: Cowboys Wire
With McCarthy under contract until Jan. 14, the front office’s refusal to allow him to interview with Chicago suggested to some that a deal to keep him in Dallas must be in the works. But the team is under no obligation to let McCarthy speak with other teams, and they may well still be evaluating how they want to proceed. (They do have a track record of moving quite slowly in these things.)
Cowboys, NFL Head Coaching Tracker: Update on Mike McCarthy, league openings :: Cowboys Wire
From the three head coaching jobs that opened up during the season to the three that have popped up since, here’s the latest on who’s interviewing where and who’s staying put.
Recent NFL firing should have Dallas Cowboys scheming a Plan B in case Mike Zimmer decides to retire :: A to Z Sports
Even if the staff is retained in Dallas, there’s no guarantee Mike Zimmer returns. He’s admitted the year was hard on him, and Micah Parsons acknowledges his 68-year-old DC may “ride off into the sunset.” The Cowboys should keep an eye on Lou Anarumo, who was fired by Cincinnati on Monday, despite leading his Bengals unit to a strong season without several of his star players.
Darnold, Mayfield, Goff QB success show Cowboys why coaches matter :: Cowboys Wire
When deciding how to move forward with their head coaching position, the Cowboys should be mindful of who would make things easier for the most important player on the field. Quarterbacks like Sam Darnold, Baker Mayfield, and Jared Goff aren’t necessarily elite NFL talents, but they’ve risen to the top tier thanks to being paired with coaches who help them succeed rather than lean on them. Dak Prescott, someone who rates higher than all of those examples, stands to gain enormously if just put into a similar situation of supportive coaching.
Cowboys LB DeMarvion Overshown confident in recovery from knee injury, expects 2025 return :: Dallas Morning News
Overshown says he’ll attack his rehab aggressively and plans to make his return to the field sooner than has been theorized. After tearing three ligaments in his right knee, the linebacker saw reports that he could miss all of next season. “I’ll be back playing football for sure in 2025,” he said, “and it won’t be in December. It will be before that.”
Turning doubt into dominance, Osa Odighizuwa continued to evolve in 2024 :: Cowboys Wire
The 2021 third-round pick was thought to be on thin ice when Mike Zimmer came to town, but Odighizuwa exceeded expectations and may have even priced himself right out of Dallas with a stellar season. He cranked up his total pressures by nearly 40%, notched a career-high in sacks, and finished in the top five in QB hits and hurries. The question is no longer whether the former UCLA Bruin is a force—it’s whether Dallas can afford to keep him.
Trey Lance on hand in Frisco as Bison win latest natty, celebrates with brother Bryce :: SI.com
Approximately 24 hours after making his first start for the Cowboys, Lance was wearing North Dakota State gear as he watched his little brother Bryce win the FCS national championship. The Bison beat Montana State 35-32 in Frisco, with Bryce, a wide receiver, hauling in nine catches for 107 yards and a score. Trey also attended North Dakota State and played on two FCS championship squads himself.
Cowboys fan favorite Bill Bates, struggling with post-concussion syndrome, still finds joy in football :: WFAA
Widely regarded as one of the greatest special teams players in NFL history, Bates was honored Sunday as the Cowboys’ Legend of the Game. Now 63, Bates struggles with post-concussion syndrome. His cognitive abilities and communication skills are in decline, but the fan favorite certainly enjoyed returning for a visit with old friends and teammates. “I’m so blessed,” Bates said. “I’m so blessed.”
Former Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott to sign with Los Angeles Chargers for playoff run :: Cowboys Wire
Elliott was released so he could pursue an opportunity with a playoff contender. He’ll get that chance with the Chargers, who have a running backs room dealing with injuries. Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh likely remembers his newest ballcarrier well from their Big Ten days; Elliott posted 214 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns in Ohio State’s 42-13 win over the Michigan Wolverines in 2015, Harbaugh’s first year in Ann Arbor.
2025 NFL mock draft: Reid’s predictions on first-round picks :: ESPN
ESPN’s latest mock draft has Dallas securing a big-time offensive weapon with the 12th overall pick in the draft. Jordan Reid has the Cowboys selecting Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, who tallied a head-spinning 2,601 rushing yards this season for the Broncos. It would be a homecoming for Jeanty, who played his high school ball at Frisco Lone Star.
2025 Cowboys schedule: List of opponents set, face playoff teams 10 times :: Cowboys Wire
The NFC East’s draw of the AFC East in 2025 makes for three very tough games, and the four games against the NFC North will be even harder. Add in six always-hotly-contested intradivisional contests versus the Giants, Eagles, and Commanders and a matchup against the surprising Cardinals, and next season is already looking like it could be a long, tough slog.
