Getty Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy
Piggybacking off a previous report, Sports Illustrated NFL insider Albert Breer believes the Dallas Cowboys could be “tempted” to fire head coach Mike McCarthy following the team’s playoff run.
Breer, however, cautioned that McCarthy’s potential dismissal is a “maybe.”
“Why? Well, as I understand it, the Joneses love that coordinator of McCarthy’s, and Dan Quinn has already drawn a lot of head-coaching interest from other teams (the Dolphins, Jaguars, Broncos and Bears have put in for interviews with him),” Breer wrote on January 12. “Quinn, it should be noted, is still getting paid by the Falcons, so the Cowboys can’t really give him a raise to entice him to stay. Would they make him the head coach to ensure it?”
“Ultimately, I don’t think they’d go through with something like that,” Breer continued. “I remember when they were in that sort of spot in 2008, standing to lose a coordinator they really liked (Jason Garrett), and did all they could, monetarily at least, to stop him from going to Baltimore or Atlanta. But they didn’t actually pull the plug on Wade Phillips for another two and a half years after that. That said, it wouldn’t surprise me if they’d be tempted to do it.”
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Cold Water on ‘Asinine’ Rumor
Digging into the matter, Mike Fisher of CowboysSI.com shot down Breer’s speculation concerning McCarthy, which a source close to the situation termed as “completely asinine.”
“There’s no way Jerry has spent even a second thinking that,” the source told Fisher.
After finishing 6-10 in his first year on the job — a record marred by the COVID-19 pandemic and loss of franchise quarterback Dak Prescott — McCarthy led the Cowboys to a 12-5 mark and NFC East title in 2021.
McCarthy, who has a believer in owner Jerry Jones, is likely safe from the firing line unless Dallas gets trounced in the opening round of the playoffs. And even then …
“He is the difference-maker, and that needs to be recognized,” Jones said of McCarthy on 105.3 The Fan in December, via The Athletic. “I’m really proud of him.”
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Vikings Reportedly Want Meeting with DQ
On Saturday, January 15, the Minnesota Vikings requested an interview with Cowboys defensive boss Dan Quinn, according to NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero. Minnesota also submitted requests for Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett and 49ers DC DeMeco Ryans, per Pelissero.
The Vikings are the fifth NFL club to express interest in Quinn, who’s drawn similar overtures from the Jaguars, Broncos, Bears, and Dolphins. The widely-respected 51-year-old has deferred some interviews until the conclusion of the Cowboys’ postseason.
“There’s just simply nothing to report on from my end,” Quinn said on January 10, via DallasCowboys.com. “When job changes happen and coaches are let go, it’s a difficult time for them and their families, the assistants, the team, everybody that goes into that. It’s nice to hear if someone is interested. That’s not lost on me. … But there’s really nothing to add on my end. There’s not a lot of time management or anything that has to go into mine other than kicking ass and being right where my feet are. Hopefully, we can just talk Niners today because that’s where my heart and my head are moving forward.”