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Could Sean Payton be the next Dallas Cowboys head coach?
Earlier in the offseason, it was reported by the "Miami Herald's" Barry Jackson that Sean Payton wanted to return to coaching in 2023. Payton has three requirements if he does decide to return: Warm weather, a talented roster, and general manager powers.
In Jackson’s report, three teams in particular were named: Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, and America’s team – the Dallas Cowboys.
Recently on the “NewOrleans.Football” podcast, Sean Payton revealed that he would be interested in returning to coaching “if the right situation presented itself.”
“I really enjoy what I’m doing right now,” said Payton. “More maybe than I thought. If the right situation presented itself, Mike, I would definitely be interested. And there’s no utopia, if you will, when it comes to teams. If I felt like it was the right situation, I would have an interest in that.”
Cowboys fans, and haters alike, felt that was Payton’s way of saying he was headed to Dallas.
If not Sean Payton, then who?
If the Cowboys don’t land their star coach in Sean Payton, they do have a few other options. They might not be as flashy as Payton, but they're still solid.
One of the top dogs on the list is Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.
During the offseason, Leftwich was considered the favorite to land the head coaching job for the Jacksonville Jaguars, however, negotiations fell apart. Not just that, but Tampa Bay also had an interest in promoting him to the top job.
If Dallas plays their cards right, they could potentially steal away a hot, young coach who would be more in tune with today’s style of football than MIke McCarthy.
Another coach with some heat, both positive and negative, that the Cowboys could land is Pittsburgh Steelers senior defensive assistant Brian Flores.
Yeah, his tenure with the Miami Dolphins ended badly, but he recorded back-to-back winning seasons in 2020 and 2021. True, he would miss the playoffs, but that was mainly due to the AFC being so stacked. Flores proved he was a good head coach with what he did in Miami, especially building up the defense the way he did.
With an owner like Jerry Jones who likes to spend big and utilize every resource available to him, this would be a good fit. If he has talent, Flores can thrive. Jerry World can give him that.
Another consideration that Dallas could put on the list would be an in-house promotion with their defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
During his time with the Cowboys, McCarthy is barely over .500 with an 18-16 record. However, it could potentially be worse if Dan Quinn wasn’t in as the DC. When the former Atlanta Falcons head coach took control of the defensive reins in 2021, he turned a sloppy defense into a solid unit. On top of that, he’s someone who has been to a Super Bowl as a head coach.
This is another solid backup plan for the Dallas Cowboys.
