A new era is underway in Dallas. Well, kind of.
The Cowboys on Monday finally moved on from head coach Mike McCarthy, as the two sides could not come to terms on an extension.
Dallas went 49-35 in five seasons with McCarthy at the helm, but never truly built a serious contender. McCarthy seemingly has preliminary interest from teams like the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, but the Dallas chapter had to conclude soon.
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Though a new head coach will take charge, the Cowboys still have Dak Prescott as their QB1 and Jerry Jones will make the next hire, which won't be straightforward.
So, which coaches will the Cowboys want next? These five options make the most sense:
Kellen Moore, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator
If Jones decides to go the familiarity route, then Moore could be a clear fit. He already spent multiple seasons with Prescott and Co. before it went south with McCarthy, leading him to take on roles with the Los Angeles Chargers and Philadelphia Eagles, where he is the offensive coordinator. Moore did inject new life into Dallas' offense in his early days and is doing so with Philadelphia. Bringing him back with more control could benefit Dallas and simultaneously hurt Philly.
NFL
Pete Carroll, Seattle Seahawks advisor
If a more experienced head coach is desired by Jones, then a Super Bowl-winning one adds up. Carroll did not coach this past season and instead moved onto an advisor role with the Seahawks, but seems open to a return to the sidelines. Carroll, who will be 74 years old in September, has experience in building a strong defensive culture but will need the right offensive coordinator to get more out of Prescott. He went 170-120-1 and may fit as a short-term option given Prescott's window.
Doug Pederson, former Jacksonville Jaguars head coach
Another experienced, Super Bowl-winning head coach that screams Dallas is Pederson. The Jacksonville Jaguars recently fired the 56-year-old after an uninspiring three-year stint with Trevor Lawrence under center. Prior to that tenure, Pederson helped the Eagles to a Super Bowl win in the 2017 season with Nick Foles. Pederson is most known for his offensive abilities, but it never quite panned out in Jacksonville for various reasons. Has Pederson already peaked in the modern league or does he have more to give? Jones seems like he would want to inquire more.
Kliff Kingsbury, Washington Commanders offensive coordinator
Another option within the NFC East resides in Washington. Kingsbury made the jump from college coaching to the NFL in 2019, where he had a four-year run with the Arizona Cardinals. Despite having No. 1 overall pick Kyler Murray, Arizona made the postseason just once, losing in the wild card round. But he has returned to be the offensive coordinator of the Commanders, who have quickly ascended into the divisional round with rookie No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels. Similar to the Moore idea, hiring Kingsbury could also hurt an adversary while helping the Cowboys.
Jason Witten, former Cowboys tight end
Moving away from current NFL personnel, one longshot option could be Witten, who was a star tight end for the Cowboys for more than a decade. Witten announced his second retirement from the league in January 2021 and was later hired to become the head coach of Liberty Christian School in Texas. He's since led the school to consecutive state titles in 2023 and 2024, and while this level is of course vastly different than the NFL, its Jones' comments from Nov. 15, 2024, that provide intrigue.
"Yes. Without hesitation. Yes," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan on Witten, 42, being an NFL coach in the future. "[Witten] has something that you can’t draw up. He reminds me a lot of our other tight end who is head coach up there in Detroit right now [Dan Campbell].
"Jason is very sophisticated when it comes to understanding football and all the nuances. But more important than anything, he really does understand the physical and the mentality of being physical and that part of it."
If Jones wants to take the beloved-former-player-to-head-coach route that isn't as common in the NFL, then Witten could be likely.