Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
In keeping with the tradition of 2019, Urban Meyer has been named as a possible replacement for a coach that hasn’t been fired yet.
In keeping with the tradition of 2019, Urban Meyer has been named as a possible replacement for a coach that hasn’t been fired yet.
National reports have surfaced that former Ohio State head coach could be a top target for the Cleveland Browns should the job open up.
Well, here we go again. Former Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer’s name has surfaced again for a head coaching job that isn’t even open. Meyer made news earlier this year when he conveyed interest in the Dallas Cowboys job should it come open, and lately, his name came up for the Washington Redskins job.
Now, with all the struggles in Cleveland, there are reports circulating that the Browns could target the three-time national champion coach as their next head man.
Despite having acquired talent during the offseason to go along with the promising Baker Mayfield at quarterback, the Browns have significantly underachieved this year once again. Many point to new head coach Freddie Kitchens as the problem, but he’s still gainfully employed right now with the organization, and there would have to be a move there before any coaching search would be undertaken.
That, apparently is beginning to become more of a reality with what we’re seeing from the dysfunctional team heading down the stretch of the season.
The news was originally reported by Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports and cites league sources familiar with the situation in the Browns’ front office.
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) December 22, 2019
The report draws on the close relationship between Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslam and his ties with Ohio rationale for his potential of making the jump to the NFL.
Of course, as always, any move back into coaching would have to be very appealing to an Urban Meyer who has seemed to enjoy his off-the-field activities and analyst role with FOX and BTN. That remains to be seen with the health concerns that were used as reasons to step away in the first place.
This may not get any more legs, but if it does, we’ll be on top of it. Oh, and when any other coaching vacancy becomes open, we’re sure Meyer’s name will be floated out there again.
And we’ll probably (sigh) once again report it in case it becomes a thing.
The NFC East doesn’t have a team with a winning record, but it’s the most compelling division in Touchdown Wire’s weekly Power Rankings.
The NFC East doesn’t have a team with a winning record, but it’s the most compelling division in Touchdown Wire’s weekly Power Rankings.
The NFC East is the worst division in the NFL. It also is the most entertaining.
Even though no team in the division currently has a winning record, the playoff scenario got more intriguing in Week 15. Plus, there’s all sorts of speculation about which head coaches might be fired, and a New York icon may have played his last game for the Giants.
The Cowboys finally played the way a team with that much talent is supposed to play, improving to 7-7 with a 44-21 shellacking of the Los Angeles Rams. The Eagles also climbed to 7-7 after a 37-27 win over the Redskins. Dallas plays at Philadelphia in Week 16, and the Cowboys can clinch the division title with a victory.
Even though the Cowboys are in the playoff race, coach Jason Garrett’s job doesn’t appear safe. Rumors are swirling that owner Jerry Jones is considering Urban Meyer as a replacement for Garrett.
Things got even more interesting when Meyer showed up at the Redskins game on Sunday. Can you imagine a bidding war for Meyer between Jones and Washington owner Daniel Snyder?
New York Giants coach Pat Shurmur also could be on the hot seat, even though he got a win against Miami. But Shurmur wasn’t the Giants’ most interesting story of Sunday. Instead, that was Eli Manning. The veteran quarterback played what might have been his final game for the Giants, while filling in for injured rookie Daniel Jones.
Here’s where the NFC East teams — and the rest of the league — stand in Touchdown Wire’s Week 16 Power Rankings.
(1-13. Last week: 32)
A 34-14 loss to New England was expected, but the Bengals actually kept the game close until the third quarter. But in the end, they lost to one of the league’s best teams. More importantly, the Bengals remained on pace to earn the top pick in next year’s draft. That means it appears as if newly crowned Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow will wear a Cincinnati uniform next season. After briefly benching veteran starter Andy Dalton in favor of rookie Ryan Finley, the Bengals have been sticking with Dalton. That’s somewhat inexplicable, because Dalton threw four interceptions Sunday. Dalton has no future with the Bengals. But he’s doing his part to make sure Cincinnati gets Burrow.
(3-11. Last week: 30)
The Redskins lost to Philadelphia, 37-27. The game meant nothing to the Redskins aside from impacting their draft position. The real story here is that Urban Meyer was spotted in a luxury box at FedEx Field with injured Washington quarterback Alex Smith, who played for Meyer at the University of Utah. Let the speculation grow that Meyer, who won national championships at Florida and Ohio State will be the next coach of the Redskins. Of course, current Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins also played for Meyer, at Ohio State. Meyer’s sighting could foreshadow an off-field showdown in the NFC East. There is widespread speculation that Dallas owner Jerry Jones covets Meyer. Given the personalities and egos of Jones and Washington owner Daniel Snyder, there could be a bidding war for Meyer.
(3-11. Last week: 29)
The only real highlight of Sunday’s 36-20 loss to the Giants was that it likely was Eli Manning’s final start for New York. Injured rookie Daniel Jones is expected back in the lineup next week, and Manning probably will retire or play for another franchise next year. But there were a few bright spots for the Dolphins, too. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and receiver DeVante Parker hooked up on two touchdown passes. More significantly, the loss keeps the Dolphins in the race for an early draft pick, where they can seek a long-term answer at quarterback — because there is no long-term future with Fitzpatrick or backup Josh Rosen.
(3-10-1. Last week: 28)
The Lions lost 37-17 to Tampa Bay on Sunday. That means they now have suffered 10 losses in consecutive years with Matt Patricia as coach. They also ran their losing streak to seven games. Does all that mean Patricia is on the hot seat? There are two ways to look at it. First, Patricia’s record in Detroit (9-20-1) has been unimpressive, and coaches have been fired for less. The fan base probably wouldn’t be too upset if Patricia gets canned. But on the flip side, Patricia still has his team playing hard even though the Lions are down to third-string quarterback David Blough and are dealing with a rash of injuries. For the sake of continuity, I would give Patricia one more season.
(3-11. Last week: 31)
A 36-20 victory against the Miami Dolphins may not seem like much. But there was a big storyline for the history of New York’s franchise. This almost certainly was the last start of Eli Manning’s tenure with the Giants, as he threw for two touchdowns and Saquon Barkley ran for two more. Daniel Jones is New York’s quarterback of the future. Jones has been out with an ankle injury, and that’s the only reason Manning has been back as the starter. But Jones returned to practice on a limited basis last week and is expected to return as the starter for the final two games of the season. This win was important for Manning, who could decide to retire after the season. It got his career record back to .500. Manning is a borderline Hall of Famer. A .500 record sounds a lot better than a losing record to Hall of Fame voters.
(5-9. Last week: 27)
The Jaguars went to California and beat the Raiders in their final game in Oakland before moving to Las Vegas next season. But the win doesn’t mean all that much in the grand scheme of things. Prior to the game, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that significant changes will be made in Jacksonville in the offseason. That could mean coach Doug Marrone, executive vice president of football operations Tom Coughlin and general manager Dave Caldwell are on the hot seat. Any or all of them could be gone after two disappointing seasons since a berth in the AFC Championship Game. The other big question in Jacksonville is who will be the quarterback next season. Rookie Gardner Minshew has outplayed the high-priced Nick Foles. Minshew has earned the right to at least compete with Foles in the preseason.
(5-9. Last week: 24)
Thursday night’s game against Baltimore went exactly as expected. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, the likely NFL Most Valuable Player, threw for 212 yards and five touchdowns and also ran for 86 yards. That’s no surprise, since Jackson has put up huge numbers all season. What is surprising, and concerning, is that the Jets suddenly seem to be a team in turmoil. During Sunday’s game, coach Adam Gase and quarterback Sam Darnold had a heated exchange on the sideline. They downplayed the incident after the game, but it still wasn’t a good sign. Running back Le’Veon Bell, the source of controversy in Week 14 when he supposedly missed the game with the flu but was seen bowling the previous night, returned and rushed for a season-high 87 yards. Maybe Bell should go bowling more often. The Jets also clinched their fourth straight losing season. That’s their longest such streak in the Super Bowl era.
(5-9. Last week 23)
On the surface, a 30-24 loss to Seattle isn’t embarrassing. The Seahawks are one of the best teams in the NFL, after all. But this one was embarrassing when you look at it from another perspective. The Panthers now are 2-5 at home this season. That’s embarrassing because the Panthers have good fans, and Bank of America Stadium has given the team a home-field advantage in the past. But the Panthers have lost six games in a row, and their future has more questions than answers. Will Kyle Allen, who threw three interceptions Sunday, be the starter next year? Or will it be longtime franchise quarterback Cam Newton? The bigger question is who will be the coach next year? Don’t be surprised if Urban Meyer’s name surfaces. Carolina owner David Tepper has the funds and the desire to compete with the big boys — Dallas’ Jerry Jones and Washington’s Daniel Snyder — for Meyer’s services.
The Redskins fanbase instantly thought of Urban Meyer as a coaching candidate upon his Sunday arrival, but McLaurin doesn’t agree.
Who was it that had the famous quote about a lie spreading halfway around the world while the truth is still putting its shoes on? Mark Twain, right?
The same can be said for a rumor that is started in the Washington Redskins’ fanbase, and that’s exactly what took place on Sunday morning before the Redskins hosted the Philadelphia Eagles in their second-to-last home game of the season.
When the team was on the field warming up before kickoff, a report surfaced that former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer was in attendance at FedEx Field, and he was to be watching the game from Dan Snyder’s owner’s box, alongside Alex Smith, his former QB at Utah.
This got the rumor mill up and running like nothing else has this year for Redskins fans.
Before we knew it, Urban Meyer had already been named by fans as the leading candidate for Washington’s vacant head coaching position, and by halftime, he’d basically accepted the job, depending on who you ask. However, rookie wide receiver Terry McLaurin — who played for Meyer at Ohio State last year — said that none of this was true when asked about it after the game.
In a piece from The Athletic, McLaurin cleared up the situation:
McLaurin said his former head coach didn’t even know Washington had a home game Sunday, but when he found out, he wanted to see his former Buckeyes players, McLaurin and Dwayne Haskins. He asked if there was anything McLaurin could do to help him get in, so McLaurin made some calls.
“He’s not a candidate” for Washington’s job, McLaurin said. “He just came here to support me and Dwayne.”
Dwayne Haskins, the Redskins rookie QB who also played under Meyer in 2018, said after the game that he wasn’t even aware that his former coach was watching from the box, but he accredited his career performance to Urban’s presence.
If you ask McLaurin though, that’s about all Meyer’s appearance brought on Sunday; good vibes and a friendly meeting between former players and coaches. As for all of those coaching rumors that accompanied him as well? It might be safe to do away with those, for now.
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Rumors in Washington are aplenty when it comes to GM’s and coaching candidates, but many of the floated possibilities contradict each other.
Many rumors have swirled around the Washington Redskins organization in the past couple of weeks, a majority of which have to do with a major upheaval in the team and its ownership group.
Team President Bruce Allen is rumored to be out of a job soon, and multiple candidates have been “floated” for the head coaching position in Washington, like Kansas City Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy, Stanford’s David Shaw, or most recently, Urban Meyer, the former coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
While it is nice to daydream about future coaching or managerial changes for many Redskins who are experiencing yet another disappointing year from their favorite team, The Athletic‘s Ben Standig points out that there’s one major problem with all of these rumors that are everpresent in Redskins’ circles: They can’t both be true at the same time.
If the organization is eyeing certain individuals, then Allen is part of the evaluation process since his role involves making such hires. Therefore he’s either staying, or none of these rumors hold weight considering Allen’s replacement, if given freedom of thought, would offer suggestions.
As the president and GM of the team, obviously, Allen’s words would carry some weight with the organization when it comes to major coaching decisions. So the rumors around the team give us two options that we can believe: these candidates that have been floated are actually true, and the Redskins are pursuing them, but that means Allen is likely staying on. Or Allen is on his way out, but the rumored coaches that he is interested in hold no weight.
Standig brings up a scenario where it’s possible that team owner Dan Snyder is the one floating these potential coaching interests, but that seems highly unlikely, as if he were to believe that Allen is on his way out, it would make very little sense to target a coach before hiring a general manager.
So which rumors, in particular, are true if any? That’s impossible to say at this point because it is all based on who you believe. Until something concrete happens with the program, it’s going to be more ‘he said, she said’ in Washington, which is usually fun for water cooler talk, but not typically a great way to run an NFL franchise.
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The Redskins lost on Sunday, but they led for most of the game and looked like a functional NFL team in the process, which is always a win.
If we’re being honest, that was just about the best-case scenario for the Washington Redskins. In the end, it will go down on the stat sheet as a 37-27 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, but the Redskins were actually in the game and leading most of the way. Meanwhile, the loss helps them in the NFL Draft Stock watch, as the New York Giants picked up a win to even the records.
The rookie players looked great, Dwayne Haskins showed poise and aggressiveness, and all in all, the team looked like a team capable of doing some things in the future. Here are our biggest takeaways from the game.
When Redskins wide receiver Paul Richardson Jr. was sent to the injured reserve on Saturday, it was decided in Washington that the offense would be spearheaded by a rookie quarterback, and three starting rookie receivers.
In Sunday’s game against the Eagles, those players showed out, and two of them had career days.
Haskins orchestrated a great game for the offense, and he finished with a career-high 261 yards and 2 touchdowns on 19-for-28 passing. He also added 26 yards on the ground. While Terry McLaurin added to his impressive season with 130 yards and 1 touchdown, rookie WR Steven Sims Jr. also picked up the first touchdown of his career, and he finished with 45 yards, as well as an impressive game on special teams.
The Redskins are young and inexperienced, but anyone that has watched them over the course of this season has been able to witness an abundance of growth that should be encouraging for any fan in Washington.
It was reported on Sunday morning before the game that former Ohio State University coach Urban Meyer was in the building, and he was hanging out with Redskins’ owner Daniel Snyder. Meyer ended up sticking around throughout the game, and he watched the contest from Snyder’s owner’s box alongside QB Alex Smith, who Meyer coached at the University of Utah years ago.
This is important for two reasons. First of all, Meyer has been rumored to be eyeing a return to coaching, and his name has been linked to a few jobs in the NFL. The Redskins are in the process of looking for a new coach, and potentially hiring someone like Meyer would be an absolute win for the franchise.
Meyer picked a great game to attend, as well, as it was the most watchable performance that the Redskins have put on this season. His former QB, Dwayne Haskins, looked highly competent, and his former WR Terry McLaurin continued his outstanding rookie season. Meyer was also able to see the young and dynamic group of playmakers on the Redskins’ roster, which could potentially convince him that there is something to work with in Washington, should he come out of retirement.
This is not to say that Meyer is a legitimate coaching candidate for the Redskins, but his attendance on Sunday definitely raises some eyebrows. He has the connections to Washington, and he was at least willing to let Snyder pitch to him for an afternoon. Whether or not he seriously considers the job is a different conversation, but it should at least be encouraging to Skins fans to see him in the building.
This feels like the 100th time we’ve written this takeaway, but it still holds true. Adrian Peterson defeated Father Time once again on Sunday, as he finished the game with 66 yards and 1 touchdown on 16 carries.
With the RB1 role all to his own now with RB Derrius Guice out for the season, Peterson was able to get the job done and then some for the Redskins. With his second-half touchdown, AP moved into a tie for fourth place on the NFL All-Time Rushing Touchdown list, now sitting neck-and-neck with Walter Payton with 110 TDs.
Peterson receives a $500,000 bonus if he is able to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark this season, and as it stands now, he is just 282 yards away. Will he get it in the final two weeks? We will see.
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Urban Meyer is apparently at FedEx field with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder today.
Urban Meyer is suddenly a hot target for NFL teams. The former Ohio State and Florida coach has already been linked to the Dallas Cowboys, and as USA TODAY’s Nancy Armor so astutely pointed out, that would be an epic clash of egos that would make for unbelievable theater.
But now another NFC East team is jumping into the fray, as Meyer has apparently been spotted at FedEx Field, where the Washington Redskins — who, unlike the Cowboys, already fired their coach — are hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in a drudge match that once held some allure but now just reminds us that we all wish this division would slink off a cliff and into the crashing waves of the sea below.
Urban Meyer is at FedEx Field today, per source. Former Ohio State head coach is a huge target for NFL teams looking for new coaches, and with Dwayne Haskins at QB, Redskins would love to land Meyer.
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) December 15, 2019
Man oh man oh man oh man. Who doesn’t want to see Jerry Jones and Dan Snyder in a bidding war? The rest of the country’s billionaires are running for president, so let’s keep these two distracted trying to woo the big fish (who has a penchant for letting things slide and “forgetting” the truth.)
Jerry Jones vs. Dan Snyder = 25 year, $500M contract for Urban. 🤣
This really couldn't have worked out any better for him.
— Ross Tucker (@RossTuckerNFL) December 15, 2019
I’m not sure which of these scenarios I’m more excited for, but I’m leaning toward Redskins now because Jones has at least had success before and could get there again. Snyder runs a football operation about as well as Meyer makes sure assistant coaches on his team aren’t abusive, so the whole thing is sure to be an utter catastrophe.
In case you forgot why Meyer, who won two national titles at Florida and another with Ohio State, is even available, a quick timeline of events:
Pairing Meyer, whose success as a college coach allowed him to lord over a fiefdom where whatever he said was true and correct, with Dan Snyder, whose success as a businessman allowed him to buy a team so he could believe that whatever he said was true and correct, is extremely tantalizing. Snyder’s time with the Redskins, once one of the league’s most prestigious franchises, has been an abject failure. Since purchasing the team in 1999 it has gone to the playoffs only five times; it hasn’t been past the wild card round since 2005.
Snyder’s heavy-handed leadership style has been criticized for the entire two decades he’s owned the team. USA TODAY’s Mike Jones examined the root causes of Snyder’s failures earlier this year:
Several figures throughout the league, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about the organization, blame Snyder’s decision-making for the failures. When he isn’t meddling, he has left the decision-making to top lieutenants Vinny Cerrato (1999, 2002-09) and Allen (2010-present), who have no track record of success.
Others around the league — some of them former employees, who spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity so they could speak freely — believe Washington’s never-ending struggles are a result of karma.
They surmise Snyder’s track record of treating people poorly – scrimping on employees’ pay and benefits, suing season ticket holders for trying to get out of their contracts because of financial hardships, clinging to a team name some view as racist – prevents his organization from thriving. Others believe Snyder has sabotaged efforts by refusing to ever hire, or stick with, a head coach he allows to operate with the authority necessary to produce a winning team.
Oh. Yeah. Dan Snyder should definitely hire Urban “Operates with Impunity” Meyer and then try to dictate to him how to do things. We need that.
It worth noting that Snyder already went the Splashy-College-Coach-With-Ties-To-Florida route when he hired Steve Spurrier in 2002, handing him a five-year deal that was the most lucrative in NFL history at the time.
Spurrier lasted two years, going 12-20 before resigning because he resented Snyder’s meddling — like forcing him to use QB Patrick Ramsey.
This time Meyer and Snyder would agree on the QB. Presumably. For a little while, at least.
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Meyer was in attendance for the Redskins game on Sunday, which raises some intriguing questions about Washington’s coaching search.
There was confirmed to be a surprising face in attendance at the Washington Redskins game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, as former Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer watched on.
Meyer, who has been acting as an analyst for FOX in his year removed from coaching at Ohio State, has been rumored as one of the more coveted candidates for NFL teams looking for a new head coach this upcoming offseason. It just so happens that one of the teams that are in desperate need of making a splash with that hire is the Redskins.
Meyer has some interesting connections with the personnel on the team as well. During his time in college, he oversaw the development of QB Dwayne Haskins, who played alongside WR Terry McLaurin. The duo is now playing together once again in Washington, where they have a bright future ahead of them.
Beyond those two, Meyer also has a history with Redskins’ QB Alex Smith, whom he coached at the University of Utah years back. Meyer and Smith formed a nice bond, and they led the Utes to a perfect 12-0 season and Fiesta Bowl victory in 2004.
It would be a rather shocking development to hear that Meyer is interested in taking over the Redskins’ job, as there are arguably much more attractive positions that are expected to be open this offseason. Meyer has already been connected to the Dallas Cowboys, should they choose to move on from Jason Garrett this year, and it’s assumed that only the best of jobs will bring Meyer out of retirement.
However, the connections to personnel on the team are nothing to look past. Meyer has won in the past with a few of these players, and he surely could do the same in the future. The Redskins may not have thought of Meyer as a potential suitor for the job, but that may have changed with his appearance on Sunday. If they can grab him, Dan Snyder absolutely should try to hire Urban Meyer.
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Cowboys Nation is still breaking down the Bears game and exploring possible coaching hires, while a franchise icon talks about being GM.
The long break between games has given Cowboys players extra time to get healthy, Cowboys fans additional time to dwell on the crushing defeat in Chicago, and the Cowboys rumor mill bonus time to swirl with possibilities and speculation.
Time to get caught up on who’s ready to play, who’s looking for wins over yards, and who’s looking like a problem when the tape comes on. There are names to mull over in the coaching carousel- including one that hasn’t gotten much publicity yet- and a familiar name who may have a GM job on his mind. Here’s the latest News and Notes.
The Cowboys look to be nearing full strength coming off their mini-bye and heading into Week 15’s game. Wednesday’s injury report showed running back Tony Pollard, defensive tackle Antwaun Woods, and safety Jeff Heath all back at practice.
Linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, though, did not practice due to his lingering neck issue. The second-year star is unlikely to play this weekend, and the coaching staff states it could be “a little time” before he is ready to return.
–TB
The league’s defending rushing champ is having a down year by his standards. But that’s not what’s bothering Ezekiel Elliott these days. Despite topping 1,000 yards for the third time in four seasons as a pro, the number that Elliott cares about is the one in the team’s win column.
“Who cares if you rush for 2,000 and don’t even make the playoffs?” Elliott asked on Wednesday.
The two-time Pro Bowler is on track to see the second-lowest rushing attempt of his career, thanks in large part to the addition of a capable change-of-pace backup in Tony Pollard. But Elliott doesn’t mind the lightened workload so long as it helps the team.
“Whatever is in the game plan, whatever the team needs me to do to win, I’m going to go out there and do,” Elliott said. “They know I’m always ready to get as many touches as they need me to get.”
–TB
Chidobe Awuzie was supposed to be the future for the Cowboys at cornerback. Not only has the third-year Colorado product failed to live up to those lofty expectations, he seems to be regressing. His biggest issue? Inconsistency.
Awuzie is capable of being very good, but according to John Owning, his technique has failed him throughout the season, often leading to big plays the other way. To the casual observer, Awuzie’s issue is refusing to look for the ball when it’s in the air. The true problem, though, runs much deeper than that. He remains a player with untapped potential, but his drop in performance in 2019 may bring salary cap ramifications moving forward.
–TT
If the Dallas defense seemed particularly bad at tackling during their Week 14 loss at Soldier Field, that’s because they were.
According to our friends at Sportradar, no NFL team missed more tackles in one game all year than the Dallas defense and their 19 at Chicago last week.
— Bob Sturm (@SportsSturm) December 11, 2019
Want a sobering perspective on 19 missed tackles in one night? New England’s defense has missed 56 tackles all season long.
For fans who have the stomach to sit through the Chicago nightmare again, Bob Sturm brings the film study, including Xavier Woods and Jaylon Smith putting forth abysmal effort on perhaps the game’s biggest play.
–TB
An awful miss while open on a crucial red zone pass play against Chicago in Week 14 is the strongest impression many fans have right now of Cowboys fullback Jamize Olawale. The third-down incompletion from Dak Prescott was just the second time the eight-year veteran had been targeted all season. He has logged zero rushing attempts and has been on the field for only 11% of Dallas’s offensive snaps in 2019.
Olawale “has some proven receiving and rushing talent from his days in Oakland,” points out Jess Haynie, “yet the Cowboys have been unwilling or unable to find a way to use him more on offense.” For all of that, the North Texas alum currently earns $1.8 million per season and is the fourth-highest-paid fullback in the league.
Fullback is a tricky position to quantify in today’s NFL, but on the surface, Olawale’s seems to be a textbook case of getting way too little bang for way too many bucks.
–TB
The Hall of Fame quarterback has expressed interest in possibly returning to the league someday as a general manager. But the Cowboys icon doesn’t expect it to ever be with his former team… at least under its current ownership.
Speaking with Dallas radio station 1310 The Ticket, Aikman shot down the notion of taking a front office role under Jerry Jones, describing his ex-boss as “real stubborn and steadfast in that he’s the one in charge.”
With Jones as both owner and GM, the team famously has not advanced beyond the NFC divisional round since Aikman himself was taking the snaps in the 1995 postseason. Aikman is now the A-team color analyst for FOX Sports and in recent years has been a vocal critic of the longstanding power structure in Dallas.
“I think in a lot of ways,” the three-time Super Bowl winner continued, “until that changes, this team’s going to have some problems.”
–TB
While a Super Bowl appearance is still possible and would change everything for the Cowboys, a divorce in Dallas seems more likely than ever. K.D. Drummond plays matchmaker and swipes through 35 possible candidates to replace Jason Garrett if the Red Ball regime does, in fact, come to an end after this season.
From promising young up-and-comers (49ers special teams coach and assistant Richard Hightower) to former players climbing the ladder (Tampa Bay offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich), and seasoned veterans (former Carolina/Denver/Chicago coach John Fox) to collegiate legends (national championship winner Bob Stoops), every option is explored and graded.
And yes, the list also includes a few current Cowboys employees, many of the usual suspects for any coaching vacancy, and He Who Shall Not Be Named (but whose name rhymes with Furban Squier).
–TB
But wait, there’s more! Add another name to the list of potential candidates. Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen went on record this week as saying he would “probably consider” an opportunity presented to him by an NFL team. That quote made its way to The Rich Eisen Show courtesy of FOX reporter Bruce Feldman, who in turn was citing a report from NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah; he had mentioned Dallas as a possible suitor for Mullen’s services should Cowboys owner Jerry Jones part ways with current coach Jason Garrett.
At the @OrangeBowl presser, asked #Gators Dan Mullen if he's curious about the #NFL (amid the speculation of him being a potential #Cowboys HC candidate ) "If someone ever calls me, then I'd probably consider it then" @NBC6Sports @NickdelaTorreGC @ThomasGoldkamp @MBakerTBTimes pic.twitter.com/ULNY8lY1Zl
— Chris Fischer NBC6 (@FischerNBC6) December 11, 2019
If Mullen’s name rings a bell with Cowboys Nation, it may be because he was instrumental in helping to develop a young Dak Prescott while roaming the sidelines at Mississippi State.
For what it’s worth, Mullen is also a protege of former Ohio State and Florida head coach Urban Meyer, the name most closely associated with any rumored coaching change in Dallas.
–TB
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