Cowboys hiring Deion Sanders might be a path to retaining Mike Zimmer

The offseason the Dallas Cowboys discover themselves in could have been inevitable for weeks and months main as much as it, however that has not stopped the group from discovering a number of the most Cowboys methods potential to remain related. Most followers appear to assume they’ve finished so for all the unsuitable causes to date, being linked to former gamers in Deion Sanders and Jason Witten as replacements for now-former head coach Mike McCarthy. Additionally in typical Cowboys trend, they are going to sit on this circus for some time, unable to interview any candidates on groups nonetheless within the playoffs right now. There’s a lengthy record of candidates from the school ranks, groups out of the playoffs, or out of teaching totally like Pete Carroll, Mike Kafka, Drew Petzing, David Shaw, Arthur Smith, Adam Stenavich, Anthony Weaver, Liam Coen, Brian Flores, Patrick Graham, Robert Saleh, and Vance Joseph who’ve all interviewed for different openings with both the Bears, Jets, Saints, or Raiders. The Cowboys appear far more taken with no less than giving the dialog round Witten and Sanders time to be absolutely fleshed out although, forcing each to be taken significantly within the title of not being embarrassed being a prime precedence.

Whereas this feeding frenzy continues, right here is the far more vital factor for Cowboys followers to take significantly and never lose sight of. The Dallas Cowboys are in far more than simply the pinnacle teaching market. McCarthy was clearly probably the most notable coach in Dallas to play out the 2024 season on an expiring contract, however this identical “lame duck” standing utilized to a lot of his assistants. The closest to McCarthy on the teaching tree that additionally finds himself in limbo is defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, following the completion of his first season again in Dallas and first within the NFL since 2021.

It was mentioned previous to the conclusion of the Cowboys’ 7-10 season that McCarthy and Zimmer would seemingly be one thing of a “package deal” this offseason. If McCarthy stayed, the chance to convey again Zimmer can be clear. With McCarthy leaving, issues are far more up within the air relating to how a brand new head coach will understand the 68-year outdated soccer lifer. Zimmer can both be seen as one of many few probabilities to maintain continuity from a earlier employees on protection, or as merely one other coach that bought swept up within the regime change for the sake of a contemporary begin.

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The best way Zimmer got here out of retirement and bought probably the most out of a Cowboys protection within the second half of the yr that was battered by fixed accidents, lineup adjustments, and the necessity to throw younger gamers into the hearth prematurely was admirable. Additionally taking part in in assist of an offense that made gaining optimistic yards on any given play comically arduous, the Cowboys protection underneath Zimmer within the latter a part of the season appeared just like the far more often ready unit prepared to present this group a preventing likelihood. Micah Parsons, Jourdan Lewis, Osa Odighizuwa, and Chauncey Golston all had standout seasons.

Whether or not or not this was sufficient from Zimmer for the Cowboys entrance workplace to contemplate his future with the group as an vital merchandise when deciding their subsequent head coach is a significant factor to be decided on the lengthy offseason guidelines proper now.

Even when it doesn’t go so far as the Jones’ placing an ultimatum on their subsequent head coach needing to work with Zimmer, virtually in the identical trend McCarthy was anticipated to work alongside offensive coordinator Kellen Moore upon his arrival in 2020, they could not need to whereas gaining a significant promoting level in the direction of the legitimacy of Deion Sanders’ teaching candidacy within the course of.

Mike Zimmer was Deion Sanders’ place coach with the Cowboys from 1995-99. Zimmer served as an analyst and guide for Jackson State in Sanders’ remaining season there, earlier than following him to Colorado in the identical function for 2023. Zimmer’s nephew, Andrew Zimmer, joined Colorado’s employees as a graduate assistant in Coach Prime’s first season, and is now a high quality management analyst for the Buffs. In December of 2023, Zimmer had this to say about his relationship with Sanders:

“Deion and I have a very interesting and unique but great relationship,” mentioned Zimmer. “He’s gonna get the guys in there he wants, he’s an outstanding recruiter. He’s a terrific man who treats his players with the utmost respect. He can discipline them and wants them to be better people than just football players as they move forward.”

The ties between Sanders and Zimmer run deep, and in the meanwhile, maybe deeper than the precise ties between Sanders and the vacant Dallas Cowboys head teaching place. Sanders teaching each his sons as seniors this previous season at Colorado bought all the nationwide consideration, however the former Cowboys Tremendous Bowl champion has really embraced the total scope of constructing a program and, together with that, the lads which are aside of it as his gamers.

Nonetheless, for all of those followers which have an opinion on Coach Prime, which by Sanders’ alternative is your entire soccer world itself, the thought of pairing him with Zimmer provides validity. Skeptics of his lack of expertise might level to Zimmer’s time because the Minnesota Vikings head coach as one thing to assist ease the rising pains, and supporters of Sanders within the first place ought to doubly benefit from the thought of getting a second season of Zimmer as Cowboys defensive coordinator. Their greatest participant on this aspect of the ball, Micah Parsons, is definitely a fan of this very thought.

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The Cowboys transitioned defensive coordinators 3 times in simply 5 seasons underneath McCarthy, that means there may be precedent on either side right here. Doing so but once more will surely not be a brand new and surprising expertise for the Cowboys, however retaining Zimmer round someway immediately provides a way of path (no less than on one aspect of the ball) that this offseason is severely missing early on.

Add in the truth that Jerry Jones’ present teaching search is reportedly a “solo mission”, and the thought of getting across the desk with three outdated mates in Jones, Sanders, and Zimmer to provide you with the brand new path for America’s Group shouldn’t be so far-fetched, is it?