The Dallas Cowboys’ search for the franchise’s next head coach is underway.
On Monday, longtime Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones confirmed that the organization and coach Mike McCarthy had mutually agreed to part ways. “Before we got to the point of contract negotiations, it became clear to each of us that it would be best for each of us to go in a different direction. I thank Mike and wish him and his wife Jessica and to their family, the best. They have been a wonderful part of our community here,” Jones said in the statement obtained by ESPN.
After news of McCarthy’s departure surfaced, speculation about his possible replacement followed. During pregame coverage of Monday’s game between the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings, ESPN reported that a former Cowboys star was under consideration for the head coaching job.
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Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten smiles on the sidelines during the Los Angeles Rams game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on December 15, 2019. (Matthew Emmons-USA Today Sports)
“They can and will conduct a search here to try to find the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys,” Adam Schefter said on ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown.”
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“Obviously it’s new, it’s just getting started. We’ll see what it does for them. There’s a lot of names floating around. I think at some point they might have some level in Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Potentially even Jason Witten, an all-time franchise guy. But this is very preliminary and we’ll eventually see where Jerry Jones goes in his search.
Elizabeth alumnus and former Tennessee Volunteer and Dallas Cowboy Jason Witten watches from the sidelines during the BlueCross Bowl between Tullahoma and Elizabethton at Finley Stadium in Chattanooga on Dec. 4, 2021. (Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel/USA Today Network)
Witten was drafted by the Cowboys in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He spent all but one of his NFL seasons with the franchise. Witten initially retired after the 2017 season and spent time in the ESPN broadcast booth. But he finally returned to the Cowboys in 2019.
He remains the franchise’s all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards. Witten last appeared in an NFL game with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.
Since his split with McCarthy, another former Cowboys star player has also been linked to the vacant coaching job – Deion Sanders.
Colorado football coach Deion Sanders watches Texas Tech during a Big 12 game on Nov. 9, 2024, at AT&T Stadium in Jones. (Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
Sanders, who won a Super Bowl with the Cowboys during his five years with the franchise, is currently Colorado’s head football coach.
Jerry Jones and Jason Witten attend LIVE on Netflix: Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium on November 15, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024)
If Sanders ultimately lands in the Dallas-Forth Worth Metroplex, his arrival would match one of Jones’ recent coaching hires. Jason Garrett was the head coach of the Cowboys from 2010 to 2019. He was primarily the backup quarterback to Troy Aikman from 1993 to 1999.
The Cowboys are looking to reset after finishing last regular season with a 7-10 record. Starting quarterback Dak Prescott has missed the last nine games with a hamstring injury.
