The Mike McCarthy era came to a resounding end on Monday as the Dallas Cowboys decided to move in a different direction after a truly agonizing process.
By dragging out their decision, the Cowboys are now playing catch-up with the rest of the teams that have head coach openings. The Patriots have already taken Mike Vrabel off the market. Vrabel likely would have been considered for the Dallas job given his experience and track record of success.
Reports have indicated Jerry Jones will cast a wide net for this search. Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and legendary Cowboys tight end Jason Witten have already been name-dropped by prominent insiders as potential candidates to watch.
One things is certain and that is Dallas is going to throw fans curveballs. That has already started according to FOX Sports insider Jordan Schultz, who understands Jerry Jones has reached out to former Cowboys great Deion Sanders about returning to his old stomping grounds.
Jerry Jones reportedly in talks with Deion Sanders about Cowboys’ head coaching job.
Cowboys legend Michael Irvin has campaigned all season for Sanders to succeed McCarthy as Dallas’ head coach. Sanders is on the record saying that he would only leave Colorado for the NFL if he was able to coach his sons (plural), Shedeur and Shilo.
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Shedeur is one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2025 draft and a likely top-10 pick. The Cowboys just made Dak Prescott the highest-paid QB in the league. They are fully committed to Prescott and aren’t in range to draft Shedeur anyway.
The million-dollar question is if Jones is actually serious about hiring Sanders or if this is simply a media grab for attention. While Jones said in a statement Monday that the team will “commence the search process immediately” he has also implied in the past that Sanders is best suited in college because of his ability to recruit.
Of course, Jones could have just been throwing teams off the Sanders scent. It is possible that he circled Deion all along as a viable McCarthy replacement.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported that no interview with Sanders has been set, but there is “mutual interest” between Jones and Sanders in “keeping the dialogue open.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter has also confirmed Schultz’s report. It seems that Sanders is a legitimate candidate,
It is important to note that just because Sanders is the first name mentioned in an actual report doesn’t make him the favorite. The coaching search is just getting started, but this is the clearest sign yet that it is going to be a wild ride.
Of course it is.
