Since the disappointing end of the 2021 season for the Dallas Cowboys, questions around the coaching staff have been prevalent. Team owner Jerry Jones is weighing the options even after a 12-5 season, and it has led to speculation around head coach Mike McCarthy’s job security, despite Jones’ son and executive VP Stephen publicly supporting him.
As has been the case every time there’s any rumbling of a coaching opening in Dallas, Sean Payton surfaces. After 16 years, Payton is stepping away from New Orleans, leading to an avalanche of speculation.
Sources: Sean Payton has informed the #Saints that he’s stepping away.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 25, 2022
Payton was the assistant head coach for Dallas from 2003-2005 before becoming head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Since then, Payton won Super Bowl XLIV and totaled 10 winning seasons.
Now that Payton is opening his future, the Cowboys could enter the conversation to acquire the coach.
Following the immediate news, the future is cloudy for Payton during this break from coaching.
What does this mean for Dallas? Right now, McCarthy faces an ultimatum after an underperforming season and the ice might already be cracking under his feet. Multiple teams reached out to the Saints trying to find clarity on the situation and potentially make a move to bring Payton to there respective teams, and one of them could be the Cowboys.
There were teams who knew that Sean Payton was trying to figure out what he wanted to do next and that he wanted to possibly leave New Orleans. Based on multiple conversations with league sources, there were teams that explored ways to make a move and hire the 58 year old.
— Dianna Russini (@diannaESPN) January 25, 2022
Assuming that Jones is interested considering his past with Payton, the most likely result is letting McCarthy play out 2022 with his job on the line and go from there. Following a 2020 season crushed by quarterback Dak Prescott’s season-ending injury, McCarthy made the playoffs in 2021 and likely creates a “Super Bowl or bust” scenario in the 2022 season to keep his job.
With that said, if Dallas underperforms next season and Jones wants to acquire Payton, it’ll have to be through a trade.
In 2019, Tampa Bay traded a sixth-round pick for Bruce Arians and a seventh-round selection then signed Arians to a four-year contract.
The Cowboys would have to perform something similar to acquire Payton as his contract holds through 2024. Right now, firing McCarthy during the 2022 offseason doesn’t seem likely after the playoff berth but crazier things have happened and Jones is growing impatient with playoff appearances coming up short.
Now begins the year-long judgement of McCarthy with Payton, who lives in Texas, looming large as the heir to the job in 2023.
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