2024 Playoffs: Wild-card weekend proves Cowboys’ offseason approach isn’t going to work Ben Grimaldi The Dallas Cowboys missed out on the playoffs in 2024, a season that was all but lost from moment last offseason began. However, if the organization is smart, they should be watching the postseason results and learning how they can get back into the race next year. There are always lessons in failure, but if there’s one thing the opening weekend of playoff results prove it’s that the Cowboys’ recent approach won’t work. Being aggressive in talent acquisition is part of building a team, and the Cowboys bypassing that part of the process isn’t a winning strategy. Most of the teams who won their wild card games on Saturday and Sunday were aggressive in adding pieces to be better than they were the previous season, while the Cowboys used an alternate strategy. Jerry and Stephen Jones are no strangers to sitting out the first and second waves of free agency, but they have managed to find some players to plug holes and keep the team competitive later in the open market. That philosophy was altered slightly last offseason, where the organization decided to almost forgo free agency entirely. It didn’t work and the Cowboys fell flat on their faces, just as many people predicted. If the results from their own team during the 2024 campaign weren’t enough to convince the Joneses how broken their approach to talent acquisition is, perhaps the early stages of the postseason can shed a light for them. Most of the winning teams got significant contributions from their offseason acquisitions, starting with the Houston Texans in the early kickoff last Saturday. The Texans traded a seventh-round pick for running back Joe Mixon, who had a second straight 1,000-yard season. In the win over the Los Angeles Chargers, Mixon led the way for the offense with 106 yards and a touchdown. In the Baltimore Ravens’ win, Derrick Henry paved the way with a monster effort. The veteran RB rushed for 186 yards and two scores as the Ravens ran away with the victory. Henry was a free agent this offseason and had interest in the Cowboys, who didn’t reciprocate those feelings. Instead of signing with the Cowboys, Henry was added by the Ravens, who signed him to a modest two-year deal. Not only did Henry have a ridiculous regular season, where he ran for 1,921 yards, but he had a stellar first playoff game with the Ravens. Not to be outdone, RB Saquon Barkley proved why he was a smart addition with the Philadelphia Eagles. Barkley topped 2,000 yards rushing in the regular season and backed that up with a 119-yard effort in the win over the Green Bay Packers. While the Eagles couldn’t move the ball through the air, Barkley provided most of the leg work in rushing for almost five yards a carry. Like Henry, Barkley’s cost wasn’t prohibitive for the Cowboys, who never chose to look into one of the best RBs on the market. It’s not always the player, but the fit with the team in free agency that makes sense, and the Ravens and Eagles matched perfectly with their additions. The Eagles also got a big game from another free agent pickup, linebacker Zack Baun, who had an interception in the win. Even in a loss, the Packers were led by their top free agent pickup on offense, RB Josh Jacobs. After a dominant season where he ran for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns, Jacobs provided the offense for Packers, scoring their only touchdown and totaling 121 yards. The Washington Commanders snuck out a win by getting a helping hand from their offseason pickups as well. Former Cowboys defensive end Dorance Armstrong had a sack, and knifed through the backfield on the biggest third down stop of the season late in the fourth quarter to help the Commanders win the game. It was a defensive effort by the Commanders that saw the top four players in tackles in the game come from guys who were signed in free agency, including linebacker Bobby Wagner, whom the Cowboys had no interest in a few years ago, fellow LB Frankie Luvu, and safety Jeremy Chinn, added from the Carolina Panthers in March. Of course, the Commanders were also aided by coach Dan Quinn, whom the Cowboys let leave the building to keep Mike McCarthy. Now Quinn’s team is headed to the divisional round of the playoffs, while McCarthy’s contract has run out in Dallas. Everywhere one looked on wild card weekend, teams who were aggressive in adding talent saw those players come through. The Texans, Ravens, Eagles, and Commanders saw their acquisitions pay off in the regular season and continued to help their respective teams win games in the playoffs. Free agency doesn’t have to be who spends the most, or who signs the best player on the open market, but finding free agents who meet needs can do wonders. This means good players who can be found relatively early on the open market, not the dime-store pickups three weeks after free agency opens like the Cowboys tend to pursue. The teams that won didn’t add players who cost them a fortune, but they were aggressive in finding the right fits. Utilizing free agency to find good players is something Jones’ organization hasn’t done in a long time. This past weekend was another lesson for the Cowboys in how to use free agency, but it’s unlikely they were paying enough attention to notice. Read all the best Cowboys coverage at the Austin American-Statesman and Cowboys Wire.
Next man up: Mike McCarthy failed to break the Cowboys divisional round curse
Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images It was more of the same for the Cowboys when it came to quick playoff exits. The wait is finally over. Mike McCarthy is not the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys anymore. He lasted five eventful years with three seasons in the middle when he took the team to the playoffs. On the outside of those promising seasons, his squad finished with a losing record, largely due to being without his starting quarterback, Dak Prescott. When McCarthy was hired to take over the team from Jason Garrett, the hope was that he would do something his predecessor couldn’t – advance past the divisional round. Sadly, the Cowboys’ playoff fate ended the same way it had before. With three shots at the playoffs, the Cowboys never made it past the divisional round. In fact, in two of those three playoff appearances, the Cowboys didn’t even make it to the divisional round. Despite more consistent regular-season success, they didn’t have it together come the postseason. Under McCarthy, the Cowboys were the no. 2, no. 3, and no. 5 seed. Twice they opened with home playoff games after winning the NFC East. Once they opened on the road traveling to Tampa Bay to face Tom Brady’s Buccaneers. Oddly enough, it was this Wild Card road game that ended up being McCarthy’s only playoff win as the Cowboys coach. The Cowboys were bounced from the playoffs in consecutive years against the San Francisco 49ers and then by Green Bay the following season. In all three of these postseason losses, there were moments when despair started settling in for the Cowboys. The team seemed outmatched. It wasn’t because they were up against a more talented opponent, but rather just being outplayed. The creativity wasn’t from Dallas. The blown assignments, however, were. Whether it was a slow death or a fast-and-furious beatdown, the Cowboys were sent fishing and left wondering where did things go wrong? In 2021 against the 49ers, they fell to 13-0 in the second quarter, and again 23-7 in the third quarter. The Cowboys couldn’t ever gain any traction and when they finally made a push, they ran out of time. Literally. The clock struck zeros before Prescott could spike the ball after a designed run. In just his first trip to the playoffs as their head coach, they had found a new way to have an embarrassing end to their football season. The following year they found themselves in a defensive battle with the 49ers. Unfortunately, the offense struggled and Prescott threw two costly interceptions. The Cowboys kept things close through three quarters, but San Fran took control in the final 15 minutes of the game. Whatever his Cowboys teams had to give, they didn’t have any fight in them down the stretch to get the win. What happened against the Packers in 2023 is hard to explain. Green Bay scored four unanswered touchdowns to go up 27-0 in the first half. When the Cowboys finally started scoring some points, the Packers quickly answered and always stayed too far out of reach. In his first-ever playoff game, Jordan Love almost had a perfect passer rating. Running back Aaron Jones scored three touchdowns. It was terrible. The game had an eerie similarity to their 2016 playoff matchup when the Cowboys hosted a Packers team who had also started the season 4-6, but then got hot and earned one of the final playoff spots. And like then, the Packers went ahead big early. Green Bay scored touchdowns on their first three possessions and took a 21-3 lead. However, in 2016 the Cowboys kept fighting and tied the game at 31-31 with just 35 seconds left. Sadly, this game had a bad ending as well, but at least the Cowboys fought their way back into the game. Not only did McCarthy’s team fail to get over the divisional round hump, in each instance, they just seemed to get worse as the game progressed. They weren’t figuring anything out. They weren’t making the necessary adjustments. They were just there. There to fall short again. The Cowboys will reset their head coach and another fella will get a chance to crack the code. Will things ever change? We don’t know, but maybe with another guy in charge, the Cowboys will be better prepared when the postseason rolls around.
Cowboys news: Parting ways with Mike McCarthy likely just the start of offseason change
Jerry Jones says he and Mike McCarthy mutually agreed to go in different directions – Michael David Smith, Pro Football Talk It seems like we may never get the full story on the dynamic between Jerry Jones and Mike McCarthy on his way out of Dallas. Jones released a statement saying that he and McCarthy — whose contract was set to expire tomorrow — have been talking since the end of the season and ultimately agreed he wouldn’t be back. “Throughout Mike McCarthy’s tenure here, including the last several weeks, I have been very complimentary of the job he has done,” Jones said. “That has applied to our record over that time period, our team unity and culture, Mike’s qualifications and track record of success, and on a personal level as a tremendous human being. I have great respect for Mike, and he has led the team through some very unique and challenging times during his tenure. “Over the past week, Mike and I had the opportunity to conduct a joint review of all aspects of the past season, our players and staff, and also spent considerable time discussing the road forward for the team. These discussions were thorough and received an appropriate amount of time and depth to cover. Prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction. I thank Mike and wish him, his wife Jessica and their family the best. They have been a wonderful part of our community here. We will commence a search process immediately to hire the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.” McCarthy will now become a free agent, and he’s expected to be a candidate for the head-coaching vacancies in Chicago and New Orleans, and perhaps elsewhere. And the Cowboys will now go looking for a coach who can be the first in 30 years to lead them to the Super Bowl. Jerry Jones on McCarthy exit from Cowboys: ‘I have great respect for Mike’ – Patrik Walker, DallasCowboys.com The Cowboys have taken the first step towards admitting the 2024 season was below their standards – a standard a new head coach will have to move forward. “We will commence a search process immediately to hire the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys,” said Jones. McCarthy leaves as one of the winningest regular season head coaches in Cowboys’ history, though unable to parlay that into postseason success for a team starved for a return to Super Bowl glory. Both sides had initial interest in continuing the relationship prior to the season concluding, but it was not to be. Be it length of contract and/or compensation and/or variables unknown, McCarthy’s tenure has concluded. He is now free to interview with any of the other 31 NFL teams, the Cowboys having initially denied a request from the Chicago Bears to speak with him during the exclusive negotiating rights window. And, with that, head coach No. 9 must be named, and preferably sooner than later when considering the ramifications of installing a new coaching regime. Mike McCarthy parting ways with Cowboys could ruin defense in 2025 – Mike Luciano, The Landry Hat The ripple effect of McCarthy leaving is going to be quite wide. Dallas’ next coach will likely bring in a new defensive coordinator, pushing Zimmer out of town. The Cowboys’ staff is by no means a barren wasteland drained of all football knowledge, and knocking Zimmer out of the picture could come back to bite them in the rear end. Cowboys defense could be ruined without Mike Zimmer after Mike McCarthy leaves Zimmer started the year off poorly, but his defense performed much better after some adjustments. Bringing him back for a second season should be on the mind of whoever ends up taking this job, but that may not end up coming to fruition. With Trevon Diggs suffering more injuries, a roster that was threadbare after youngsters like Mazi Smith failed to develop, and multiple Dan Quinn additions playing out of position, Zimmer did the best he could with that group. It’s not totally on him this defense didn’t produce multiple All-Pros. If the Cowboys continue to follow the league trend of hiring younger, offensive-minded coaches, there is a very good chance that hire will bring in an inexperienced, overwhelmed defensive coordinator who can’t use stars like Parsons correctly. That could be just as destructive, if not more so, than getting a middling offensive mind for Prescott. The Cowboys shouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water as it pertains to Zimmer, but the McCarthy era ending in such odd fashion might be all Jerry Jones needs to institute a more comprehensive house cleaning. 3 Mike Zimmer replacements the Cowboys should consider – Shane Taylor, Inside The Star A new head coach working with Dak Prescott will be the headline all offseason in Dallas, but they just as badly need stability on defense. Robert Saleh Robert Saleh might not be a popular pick with some of the fans, but as a defensive guy, he would be a good hire. They wouldn’t be asking if to be the head coach like was in New York, he just needs to worry about the defense, and they have plenty of talent around him. Despite the disappointing results, the Jets ranked fourth in points allowed in 2022, 12th in 2023, and were fifth just before his dismissal. Before joining the Jets, Saleh was the defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers from 2017 to 2020, where he led a formidable defense in 2019. This would be a decent hire for the defense who is full of guys that want to win like Micah Parsons, they need another high energy guy like Dan Quinn used to be, but also hold them accountable and I think Saleh would do just that. Matt Eberflus Now look as a Cowboys fan from the Midwest who has a
Cowboys Headlines: Jerry claims ‘mutual decision’ on McCarthy; new candidates include Deion Sanders, Kellen Moore, Jason Witten
Breaking: Mike McCarthy will not return as Cowboys head coach in 2025 :: Cowboys Wire Link What seemed unlikely over the weekend was suddenly announced as fact around midday Monday. The ninth head coach in franchise history, McCarthy now leaves Dallas with a 49-35 regular-season mark over five years. Early reports suggested that the two sides may have clashed over the proposed length of a new contract. McCarthy’s tenure will officially end at midnight on Tuesday. Jerry Jones on McCarthy exit from Cowboys: ‘I have great respect for Mike’ :: The Mothership Link The owner praised McCarthy’s “qualifications and track record of success” while also referencing the “very unique and challenging times” that came during his tenure. But, Jones, said in a statement, “prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction.” Jones vowed that the search for the team’s next head coach would start immediately. 21 candidates for Cowboys head coach opening after McCarthy walks out the door :: Cowboys Wire Link From Ben Johnson to Todd Monken, Brian Flores to Bobby Slowik, Kliff Kingsbury to Aaron Glenn, there is no shortage of qualified names for the Cowboys to consider. Bill Belichick would require a $10 million buyout of his contract at North Carolina; don’t overlook Wes Phillips, whose father was also once the head coach in Dallas. Troy Aikman delivers brutally honest assessment of Cowboys’ head coach opening :: Awful Announcing With Mike McCarthy out as coach, expect Dallas Cowboys to go after their ‘golden child’ (Opinion) :: Fort Worth Star-Telegram Link Kellen Moore may finally have the inside track on the head coaching job he was once considered the heir apparent to. Moore was once retained by Jones even before McCarthy got to town, but the arranged marriage never really worked, despite Moore’s offense putting up huge numbers. But the Joneses love Moore; now after seasons spent with both the Chargers and Eagles, he may be called back to The Star. Dallas Cowboys head coaching tracker: rumors, interviews and more :: All DLLS Link Jones and Deion Sanders have reportedly spoken about the Cowboys’ head coach opening and will remain talking, according to reports. But it should be noted that no formal interview has been scheduled. Also, Sanders has a buyout of $8 million if he were to be hired away from Colorado… and Jones is notoriously cost-conscious when it comes to head coaches. Anything is possible, though. Sanders confirms conversation with Jones :: Adam Schefter ESPN suggests Cowboys legendary $81 million player could be shock head coach candidate :: Cowboys Wire Link Depending on who you listen to, Jason Witten’s name could get some buzz as a serious candidate to take the reins in Dallas. The franchise’s all-time receptions and receiving yards leader has been coaching his son’s high school team for four seasons and has won back-to-back state championships, but that’s the extent of his coaching experience. A jump directly to the head coach’s office at the highest-profile team on the planet would be staggering, to say the least. Here’s why the Cowboys should hire Joe Brady to be their next head coach :: Cowboys Wire Link One of McCarthy’s big plusses when Jones hired him was his experience; would Jones roll the dice now on the Bills’ offensive mastermind despite him never having been a head coach? Brady is a star on the rise who has a track record of getting the absolute most out of his quarterbacks. He’s shown commitment to the ground game but strives for balance, uses read-option and personnel diversification, and dials up plenty of big plays. Mike McCarthy got fired the Cowboys way :: D Magazine Link There is a way to do business in football, and there is the way the Jones family does it. Wins, losses, transactions, deadlines, norms: none of those matter if they threaten the dollars. McCarthy likely deserved to be shown the door for his inability to get the team into the later rounds of the playoffs, but his dismissal was just pain clumsy by the Joneses, all in the name of selling the drama. Discussing why the Cowboys are dumb for not doing the sensible thing is still discussing them, which means paying attention, which is the whole point for Jerry Jones. Jerry Jones’ approach to parting with Mike McCarthy made no sense and set Cowboys back :: The Athletic Link The Cowboys could have spoken with hot coordinator candidates on this year’s playoff teams, but they didn’t over the past eight days… and that window is now closed. If the guy they’re eyeing goes to the Super Bowl, they won’t be allowed to talk to him until afterward… almost a month from now. The Cowboys are now a full week behind other teams searching for a head coach. Un-complicate It: Cowboys would be wise to find way to retain coach Al Harris :: Cowboys Wire Link Harris may be the assistant most Cowboys fans are most scared of losing. The defensive backs coach will get a lot of attention when his negotiating window opens. A new Cowboys coach may prefer to clean house and build his own staff, but Jones has kept valued staffers locked in despite a regime change before. What the Cowboys cannot afford to do is allow Harris to leave without expressing their interest in retaining him in some capacity. The 50-year-old’s rank as assistant head coach could even make him a legitimate candidate to ascend to the head role in Dallas. Former Vikings coach’s career in the NFL could be coming to an end :: The Viking Age Link Mike Zimmer’s return stint as the defensive coordinator in Dallas will be just a one-year arrangement. The 68-year-old is reportedly considering retirement now that he’s been released from his contract. Reports: McCarthy expected to draw immediate interest; several Cowboys 2025 opponents in the mix :: Cowboys Wire Link The
Cowboys, Deion Sanders start discussions about head coach opening
Cowboys, Deion Sanders start discussions about head coach opening K.D. Drummond The Dallas Cowboys‘ opening for head coach hasn’t even been listed on LinkdIn yet, but that hasn’t stopped people from being linked to the job. One such name is farfetched, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter name dropped former tight end Jason Witten on Monday night. A more convential name emerged later in the evening though, one that has been considered for much of the season. ESPN’s Todd Archer has reported that Jerry Jones and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders discussed the open position on Monday. A source said Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones and Sanders spoke Monday, and while an interview has not been scheduled, the two are expected to continue their dialogue. Fox Sports first reported the conversation between the two sides. Sanders was linked to a Cowboys job that was not even open in the fall. Sanders has spent the last half decade proving his coaching and recruiting chops, first turning HBCU Jackson State into a powerhouse and parlaying that into resurrecting the Buffaloes’ program. A doormat for a long time, it took Sanders just one year to turn a losing team into a 9-4 campaign and a bowl appearance. His recruiting top talent, including his quarterback son Shedeur Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, has had a lot to do with it, but Sanders has proven himself to be a no-nonsense leader of young men. He’s bristled at the idea of coaching millionaire professionals before, so it would be interesting to see if he was seriously considering a move to the pros. Sanders was a famous two-sport athlete who jined the Cowboys’ circus in the middle of their vaunted run in the 1990s. After winning a Super Bowl with San Francisco in 1994, he joined the Cowboys as the most famous free-agent signing in history at the time and helped Dallas win their third Lombardi trophy in four seasons. One of the best cornerbacks in league history who also spent time in Major League Baseball, Sanders played on both defense and offense for the Cowboys, much like Hunter did in his time under Sanders’ tutelage. Sanders has been linked to a potential Cowboys opening for a while and has always enjoyed a high ranking in Cowboys Wire’s weekly regular season replacement rankings.
REPORT: Cowboys have spoken with Deion Sanders about head coach position
Tim Heitman-Imagn Images A Prime candidate has emerged in the Cowboys search for the next head coach. The Dallas Cowboys’ search for a new head coach is about to dominate the NFL news cycle for a while, and we already have our first big name with a substantial rumor for the job. Former Cowboys player, NFL legend, and current college coach Deion Sanders has been contacted by Dallas about their vacancy. Not even a full day since the news that Mike McCarthy would not be returning, Sanders is the first candidate reported to be having an actual discussion with Jerry Jones about the job. While everyone under the sun has been speculated about, Coach Prime was one of the stronger considerations given his links to the team and a profile worthy of the NFL’s flashiest franchise. Sources: Jerry Jones and Deion Sanders have spoken, and while a formal interview hasn’t been scheduled yet, there is mutual interest. My understanding is that the two are going to stay in contact on this. https://t.co/D9z3OYruuC — Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 14, 2025 If Sanders is the hire, it will be the first time that Jones has gone to the college coaching well since he replaced Jimmy Johnson with Barry Switzer in 1994. While having never served on an NFL coaching staff, Sanders played in the league from 1989-2005 and is generally considered one of the best talents at any position in league history. There will be plenty more to come on Deion Sanders’ candidacy and others’ in the days ahead. But for now, we have our first real name to chew on.
Cowboys, Mike McCarthy breakup about differences of opinion
Kirby Lee-Imagn Images It appears that the Mike McCarthy divorce was a difference in opinion at the highest levels. The Dallas Cowboys have begun looking for a new head coach after not agreeing to a new contract with Mike McCarthy. Both camps appeared motivated to reach a deal as of last week, but neither budged on their opinion of what McCarthy’s accomplished in Dallas and what he deserved going forward. And in this case, neither side may be wrong. The latest reports say that after a long review of the Cowboys’ performance last season and the state of the franchise after five years of McCarthy’s coaching, there was a mutual agreement for them to go separate ways. The news is still pretty fresh at the time of this being written, so more substance and perhaps comments from Jerry Jones or McCarthy may come in the near future. But with the team and coach now moving on to trying to figure out what’s next, we may not hear much more about their parting. So let’s look at it from a few angles. First, why would the Cowboys not want to re-up with McCarthy? While his first and last years were rough, he also had a stretch of three straight 12-5 years and two division crowns from 2021-2023. It’s arguably the best three-season run the team’s had since the 90s. But that run also meant three consecutive times that Jones watched his team lose in playoff games, two of which came at home. McCarthy’s record overall against winning teams was weak, essentially showing that he could bully bad teams with the talent that the front office had provided, but was rarely perceived to have coached them above the sum of their parts. Then again, especially last year, the roster was left weakened at times by the team’s increasingly quiet offseasons. Why would McCarthy want to come back after not only being left in lame-duck status for 2024, but not even given a fair shot by the front office’s lack of free agent activity and a future-minded draft class? One might have thought this parting was already decided before last week, or even as last season began. But instead of jumping onto the Black Monday fray last week with all the other teams needing new head coaches, Dallas spent last week and the early part of this one in talks with McCarthy. There seemed to be a mutual desire to keep doing business together, but clearly everyone had their own ideas about what that relationship should look like going forward. We can only speculate. Did Jones want McCarthy to give up offensive control and focus on being the head coach, as he did with Jason Garrett in 2013? Perhaps McCarthy balked at the idea of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer being replaced. Or maybe McCarthy wanted more say in front office activity and was looking for more of a commitment. While reports say that the two sides never talked about his contract, a general idea of how long a new deal would be may have still trickled into conversations. If the Cowboys only wanted to give McCarthy a couple more years and he wanted more security, that would’ve naturally come up in discussions about their visions for the team going forward. Again, we probably won’t know what the true sticking points were. But it’s no bold guess that McCarthy saw more value in his regular-season accomplishments than the front office did. When it came to his true mandate upon joining the Cowboys, to take the team further than Jason Garrett had, McCarthy had nothing to show. How you feel about this change is no different than the parties involved; where do you assign value? If you found those three straight playoff appearances to be a badge of honor, you may be disappointed in McCarthy’s departure. If you saw them as more arbitrary, and especially given how Dallas performed in those playoff exits, you’re probably ready for change. Nobody’s wrong here. Mike McCarthy’s not wrong to think he deserves another chance in Dallas. The Cowboys aren’t wrong for thinking they can do better at head coach. You’re not wrong for how you feel about it. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but the facts are that the Cowboys will have a new head coach in 2025 and this offseason is about to get a lot more interesting.
Here’s why the Cowboys should hire Joe Brady to be their next head coach
Here’s why the Cowboys should hire Joe Brady to be their next head coach reidhanson After months of speculation, weeks of conflicting reports and days of misinformation it has finally become clear, the Dallas Cowboys are moving from their head coach Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys will no doubt have plenty of proven coaching candidates to choose from, as well a handful of young up-and-comers. One of those up-and-comers could be exactly what the Cowboys need, and his name is Joe Brady. Brady, the Buffalo Bills offensive mastermind and coordinator extraordinaire, is a hot name on the coaching market these days. His ability to turn the Bills into one of the league’s most dangerous offenses has put him at the top of many teams’ lists this offseason. Brady doesn’t have head coaching experience and that may cause some teams to shy away from him as an option, but he’s a coach whose star is on the rise and someone who, at age 35, is on the right trajectory for a top NFL coaching candidate. In all fairness, this could be a tough pill to swallow for Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Jones made it a point to highlight McCarthy’s work experience as a head coach when selling his previous hire to fans and media. Jones knows the window in Dallas is closing, and at age 82, his own time at the helm is fleeting. He’ll be extra motivated to get this hire right. Jones, a speculator by nature, also knows a thing or two about projection. Waiting until a bright young offensive coordinator proves himself as head coach is already too late. Those types of coaches rarely break loose and when they do, they typically come with strings attached. What Brady lacks in head coaching experience he makes up for in proven offensive success. Brady got his start in the NFL as an offensive assistant for the New Orleans Saints. Coming from the Sean Payton coaching tree Brady pivoted to LSU in 2019, serving as passing game coordinator and receivers coach. Brady practically ran the offense at LSU, building it into a juggernaut on the way to a National Championship. From there Brady jumped at an opportunity to lead an NFL offense. His time as offensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers didn’t go well and the rising star found himself knocked down a peg. Was it simply a matter of coaching a poor team in Carolina or did it have more to do with Brady’s limitations? His next stop would likely provide the answer. And answer, it did. In 2022 Brady latched on with the Bills, taking on the coveted role of quarterback’s coach. A bit more than halfway through the 2023 season Brady took over the offensive coordinator role in Buffalo. He fundamentally changed the offense overnight, going from an offense that force-fed the ball to Stephon Diggs, to an offense that spreads the ball around. His balanced and opportunistic approach led the Bills to offensive turnaround in 2023. It set him on a path for 2024, eventually producing the NFL’s second-best offense (based on EPA standards). Brady would appeal to Jones and the Cowboys because the similar situation he faces coming to Dallas. Like Buffalo, the Cowboys have been dependent on a Dak-Prescott-to-CeeDee-Lamb connection. Like Buffalo, the offense has been predictable, unbalanced and unimaginative. Jones, being someone obsessed with a balanced approach to offense, will fall in love with Brady’s commitment to the ground game. The analytics department in Dallas will fall in love with Brady’s efficiency in his balance, use of read options, personnel diversification, and lust for the big play. Brady wouldn’t be able to use Prescott much as a runner, but he would be able to make up for it with more RPOs (which don’t involve the QB rushing) and more designed runs to receivers. Ranking No. 6 on recent play caller rankings, Brady would take the Cowboys offense to the next level and do it in a way Jones would appreciate. Maximizing Prescott should be Priority No. 1 for whoever comes to Dallas. The fact Brady helped develop Joe Burrow into a Heisman winner and currently has Josh Allen on track for an All Pro, even MVP, season, speaks volumes about his ability to get the most from his signal callers. Related articles [affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]
Dallas Cowboys handicapped themselves on coaching candidates, especially on Lions and Chiefs
Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images The Dallas Cowboys’ delay on their McCarthy decision has significantly hampered their ability to interview certain candidates. The Dallas Cowboys parted ways with Mike McCarthy on Monday morning. That this was the second Monday of the offseason made matters more interesting given that a week before would have made more sense. Dallas spent the first week of the offseason thinking and believing they would-resign McCarthy. In that time, the Chicago Bears formally requested to interview him and the Cowboys denied that which only reinforced the notion of a McCarthy return. Maybe the Cowboys had every intention of bringing McCarthy back and things did in fact just fall apart in the end. Every report from an insider has insisted that this was about the length of a potential contract, something that will seemingly be an issue for any head coach who comes in. But that last point is the most important as that is what matters most now. The Cowboys are officially looking for the 10th coach that the franchise has ever known and the way they went about this McCarthy situation seriously handicapped their ability to find him. The Cowboys made finding a new head coach harder on themselves As noted, we are now into the second week of the offseason which means that the first round of playoff games are in the books except for the Monday night game. This is significant for the Cowboys now because it means that the staffers on the teams with the first-round byes, the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs, are no longer able to be virtually interviewed for potential head coaching opportunities. Last week Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn, Matt Nagy and Steve Spagnuolo had virtual interviews with the teams who were looking for new head coaches and that window of opportunity is closed. It took some digging to find the full-on clarity on what comes next, shout out to the one and only Dave Halprin, but NFL rules state that now the Lions and Chiefs staffers cannot be interviewed until at least January 27th (after the conference championship games) and that that window closes February 2nd in order for them to (if they are in it) prepare for the Super Bowl. Obviously if a team is eliminated before then their staffers are fair game. But there is a catch. Lions or Chiefs staffers may interview again in that window with teams who they conducted virtual interviews within the window that just closed. Given that the Cowboys did not interview any of them during the time in question because they were figuring things out with Mike McCarthy, they have to wait until after the Super Bowl to talk to any Lions or Chiefs staffers, if either team makes it there. ESPN’s Adam Schefter went on a bit of a rant about this on SportsCenter on Monday afternoon. He noted that this challenge, among others, was completely self-induced by the Cowboys: “Take a look at the timing of what Dallas did here. Because now there is a window to be able to talk to Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, Chiefs offensive coordinator Matt Nagy, Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo…” “If you wanted to talk to any of those four coaches the time to do it was last week. Now, the Cowboys cannot even speak to them, until after their season ends. If either one of those teams were to advance to the Super Bowl, the soonest the Cowboys could talk to any of them would be February 10th.” “So essentially they limit themselves there, Mike Vrabel gets the job in New England, Bill Belichick’s in North Carolina… so there are any number of coaching candidates that by the timing of the Dallas decision, the Cowboys could not consider or could not speak with.” “…the Dallas Cowboys, with their timing, essentially put themselves at something of a disadvantage and now they’re playing catch-up with the rest of the teams that have openings.” Among the notes about Detroit and Kansas City that Schefter offered he also touched on Mike Vrabel and Bill Belichick. The former is now the head coach of the New England Patriots. Consider that the Patriots fired Jerod Mayo, conducted their own coaching search (that is a bit of a loose thing to describe what they did, but they did literally perform one) and settled on Mike Vrabel and hired him. His introductory press conference began just after news of Dallas and McCarthy parting ways was announced. Schefter also mentioned Bill Belichick who a while ago now became the head coach at the University of North Carolina. For what it is worth, Jordan Schultz reported that Belichick would have been interested in the Cowboys job and that it is believed Dallas would have been interested in him. Clearly that is not happening, unless Dallas were to buy out his current deal and he were to pull an all-time about face. It is obviously unlikely. FWIW: Bill Belichick would have been interested in the Cowboys’ job, and it’s believed that Dallas would have been interested in him, had he known the position would become available. Belichick and his camp never received any indication during backchannel conversations that the… pic.twitter.com/xIqaGdwFPq — Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) January 13, 2025 Belichick, as you are aware, was available at this time last year when that cycle of head coach searching was going on across the NFL. That was also when Dan Quinn was hired by the Washington Commanders and Jim Harbaugh was hired by the Los Angeles Chargers. This isn’t to say that either was some mistake that Dallas made by not securing one of them, but more of a representation at how the franchise dragging their feet over the last week and last year in general has set up their next era on a wrong foot start already. It is difficult to understand what the Cowboys are thinking or how they could have some sort of plan. But if
Dallas Cowboys head coach tracker: Rumors, reports, news, information on all candidates
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports We are tracking everything you need to know about the Dallas Cowboys coaching search. It happened. The Dallas Cowboys officially decided to move on from Mike McCarthy following his five seasons with the team, it was reported as a situation where a deal could not be reached, and whether or not you think that was the right move, the move has been made. With the McCarthy domino having fallen the Cowboys are now going to be tasked with finding a new head coach, the 10th one in franchise history and the 9th to work for the team in the ownership era of Jerry Jones. Obviously only Tom Landry did not. What’s more is that the Cowboys are looking for their third head coach in the Dak Prescott era as he has played for both McCarthy and Jason Garrett. Starting over a second time (as Garrett was the head coach when Prescott was drafted) is a tall task for any era and one that this group is going to have to get used to. Additionally, the Cowboys waited over a week after the season ended to move on from McCarthy so they are now significantly behind the other teams looking for head coaches. Consider that the New England Patriots already even found their new one in Mike Vrabel. This post will serve as our tracker for all relevant rumors, reports and pieces of information as they relate to the Cowboys and their head coaching search. We will also keep tabs on Mike McCarthy and what comes of him. Last Updated: Monday, January 13th at 1:00pm ET Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Rumors Tracker In the immediate aftermath of the McCarthy news, Ian Rapoport noted on NFL Network that the Cowboys have missed out on the early windows to talk to Lions or Chiefs staffers and will now have to wait if they wish to do so. He added that Kellen Moore is an obvious dot to connect. More important than anything he mentioned that he expects a larger coaching search than the one that yielded McCarthy five years ago. Official Interviews Reported For Dallas Cowboys Head coach TBD Mike McCarthy Rumors Tracker Shortly after news of the departure was announced it was reported that McCarthy is (obviously) now free to speak with other teams. NFL Network implied that conversations with Chicago and New Orleans could happen soon.
