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The Dallas Cowboys have backed head coach Mike McCarthy publicly since the team’s disappointing postseason exit, but there continue to be rumblings that owner Jerry Jones could consider a splashy change. Former NFL general manager Michael Lombardi believes Jones would consider firing McCarthy if he had an opportunity to lure Saints head coach Sean Payton away from New Orleans.
“Now, there has always been a linkage between the Dallas Cowboys and Sean Payton,” Lombardi explained on the January 17 edition of The GM Shuffle podcast. “The Jones family loves Sean, Sean loves Dallas, Sean loves the Jones [family]. There’s a mutual, mutual love affair going on there. Can Sean get out of [his deal]? He has one year left on his contract with the New Orleans Saints. Can he get out of that? Is he allowed to get out of that? Could he just go walk over to Dallas?
“I don’t know, I’m not trying to spread rumors. I just know that there’s a lot of conversation that Sean might take a year off because it’s the last year of his deal. I don’t know if he wants another contract. He’s certainly entitled to one.
“He’s a legitimate coach who could really help fix that team. But would Jerry fire McCarthy if he had a chance to get it? I think this week will be very fascinating to see if Sean does in fact come back to New Orleans or decides to walk away or what happens and I think that could motivate Jerry into a decision.”
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Payton Could ‘Return One Day to Coach the Cowboys,’ Says NFL Coordinator
There are so many moving parts that would need to happen for the Cowboys to land Payton, making the potential move unlikely. The Saints would push for compensation from the Cowboys, and trades for coaches are a rarity in the NFL. The Cowboys would also need to fire McCarthy, and so far, all indications are it is business as usual in Dallas.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that there continues to be a growing buzz about Payton’s future in New Orleans and added there is some speculation around the league that the legendary coach would push for a return to the Cowboys. There is also speculation that Payton could abruptly stop coaching in favor of a career in television.
“Not sure I see Payton walking away from coaching — he loves it too much — but there’s definitely some buzz there that maybe he’s being courted on that side,” an NFL coordinator told Fowler. “Maybe he goes and does that and returns one day to coach the Cowboys or something.”
Payton Was a Cowboys Assistant From 2003 Through 2005
All things being equal, Jones would likely love to have Payton once again wearing a Cowboys polo. Payton was a Cowboys assistant from 2003 through 2005, and Jones has openly gushed about his respect for him as a coach. Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher reported in December 2019 that the Cowboys used “back channels” to reach out to Payton about a potential return to Dallas.
“I know this: I think a lot of that organization, [Saints general manager] Mickey [Loomis] and everybody involved there, Ms. [Gayle] Benson,” Jones said in September 2019, per Pro Football Talk. “Nothing surprising about that. They recognize everything that Sean is about positively, which is what he’s about. Doesn’t surprise me at all that they want to keep him there. He’s a big part of the fabric of New Orleans.”
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