Eight days after their season ended, the Cowboys officially announced that Mike McCarthy would not be returning as the team’s head coach. Despite leading Dallas to three consecutive 12-5 seasons from 2021 to 2023, the team only managed to win just one playoff game during that stretch.
In 2024, the wheels fell off after the team suffered a plethora of injuries that exposed their lack of depth at many positions. The Cowboys had failed to make any big additions during the last offseason which ultimately played a major role in their disappointing season. Whether or not McCarthy deserved to be blamed does not matter anymore. Dallas opted not to retain his services, thus making him the proverbial sacrificial lamb.
By choosing to wait a week before firing McCarthy, the Cowboys find themselves a few steps behind the other teams with head coaching vacancies. Nevertheless, they are inevitably one of the most attractive openings due to their enormous brand and better than average roster. Let’s breakdown some of the most likely candidates to for the job.
Deion Sanders

The rumor mill has focused more on Deion Sanders than any other candidate so far. Sanders was previously linked with the Raiders’ job before reports came out that the team was not interested in hiring him. The reports linking Sanders to the Cowboys’ job appear to be much more substantial, going as far as to say that the two sides have had conversations regarding the position.
The mutual interest between both parties is a positive sign that Sanders might in fact be McCarthy’s successor. If Dallas ends up hiring Sanders, it will be interesting to see if they attempt to move up in the draft in order to acquire Shedeur Sanders. This move would obviously signal the end of Dak Prescott’s tenure as the team’s QB1.
Kellen Moore

Moore has extensive ties to the Cowboys having both played for them and served as their quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator. Since Moore is the current offensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, Dallas would have to wait to interview him until after Philly’s season ends. As far as options go, Moore could be viewed as a safe and familiar choice.
Ben Johnson

Johnson has been linked to each of the other openings, so there is no reason why the Cowboys will be any different. As a young and promising offensive mind, Johnson is a more attractive option than Kellen Moore; although, it will be harder for Dallas to obtain Johnson’s services due to the large number of potential suitors.
Mike Tomlin

Since there have not been any reports linking anybody other than Deion Sanders to the Cowboys’ opening, we can afford to think outside the box. After the Steelers suffered another disappointing playoff exit, there have been discussions as to whether or not Pittsburgh might move off Tomlin after 18 seasons. The Steelers would likely choose to trade Tomlin rather than fire him in that scenario. Dallas would have more to offer than any of the other teams with a coaching vacancy, while hiring someone like Tomlin would provide them with much needed stability and structure.
Bill Belichick

If Bill Belichick had not been hired by North Carolina, his name would likely be at the top of the Cowboys’ list. Dallas can still pursue Belichick if they want to, but it will come with a hefty price tag. As of right now, Belichick’s contract at North Carolina comes with a $10 million buyout that would have to be paid by any team that wishes to pry him away from the Tar Heels. Knowing Jerry Jones’ history, it seems unlikely that he will want to pay that much.
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