What was once an intriguing notion and then a rumored possibility has taken a very real step. The Cowboys are officially interviewing Mike Zimmer for their open defensive coordinator job.
The news comes from NFL insider Adam Schefter, though many have suspected for a while that the 67-year-old could be a candidate for the role that was vacated by Dan Quinn. On Saturday, Quinn signed his contract to become the next head coach of the Washington Commanders.
Zimmer last held the Cowboys’ DC role in 2006 before moving on to serve as defensive coordinator in Atlanta and Cincinnati. He then served as head coach in Minnesota until the conclusion of the 2021 season.
Former Vikings’ head coach Mike Zimmer, who last worked in the NFL in 2021, is meeting with the Cowboys about their defensive coordinator job, per league sources.
Zimmer and Dallas are quite familiar with each other; Zimmer worked as an assistant coach in Dallas from 1994-2006. pic.twitter.com/hAyQiDdgAk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2024
Known as a fiery coach who tends to develop strong and lasting relationships with his players, Zimmer spent the 2022 season as an analyst and consultant for one of his former players, Cowboys legend Deion Sanders, as head coach of Jackson State.
Zimmer spent the 2023 campaign away from the game but studying current trends as part of an effort to return to the sidelines.
He may get the opportunity with the franchise that rewarded him with a Super Bowl ring in 1996.
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The Cowboys are also set to interview former Commanders head coach Ron Rivera in the coming days. Potential internal candidates could include Joe Whitt Jr., Al Harris, and Aden Durde, though there’s a chance some or all of them could end up following Quinn to the Commanders. Other outside names that have been mentioned as possibilities (all purely speculative at this point) are Mike Vrabel, Brandon Staley, Wink Martindale, and even Bill Belichick.
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