4 Cowboys who might lose their jobs after Wild Card meltdown, and where they’ll land.
That isn’t precisely how the Dallas Cowboys had their Sunday afternoon planned.
The Cowboys will now begin their offseason sooner than they had planned after losing to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round.
Furthermore, based on what we know of Jerry Jones, we should anticipate some extreme actions in the near future. But how extreme?
In the coming days and weeks, there are a few names to keep an eye on; these are men who may end up losing their jobs in one way or another. Which names ought to be on our screens? Let’s talk about a select few.
1. Johnathan Hankins, DL
Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins has been known as a strong run defender at times during his career, but after this last season and, specifically, what the Packers did to him on Sunday, he is as good as gone. Hankins is going on 32 years old and his contract is up.
There is no doubt he is going to be allowed to walk. The Cowboys gave up 143 rushing yards in that one, including 118 yards to Aaron Jones, alone. Hankins was a big reason why, and fans shouldn’t be surprised. He did, after all, end with a run defense grade of 49.9 on the season per Pro Football Focus.
However, Hankins’ performance was exactly average, as was the Cowboys line’s overall performance. They weren’t particularly good at run defense during the season. They allowed more than 112 yards of rushing per game. To address this problem heading into the upcoming season, Dallas needs to somewhat restructure their inside line.
Where in free agency might Hankins end up? Given his age and the way he performed this season, it might take some time for him to sign, but it’s possible that a competitive club that just needs more depth will sign him.
2. Tony Pollard, RB
Running backs do not have it easy in today’s NFL. Rarely do you see a back get a second contract worth more than just a few bucks. Most backs’ careers are essentially over, or at least on a downward trend, by age 27 nowadays.
Pollard will be 27 years old in April and is coming off a one-year deal that paid him over $10 million. He is also coming off a season which saw him average just a mediocre 4.0 yards per carry and was no where near as explosive as we were used to seeing him prior to the 2023 campaign.
Against the Packers, Pollard ran 15 times for 56 yards, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. If it wasn’t for his long run of 11 yards, he would have averaged even less.
This offseason, there is absolutely no chance the Cowboys give Pollard a long-term deal, and they would be foolish to give him another franchise tag based on his play. When given the opportunity, Rico Dowdle looked fine in spurts. Regardless of Dowdle’s presence, though, the Cowboys will be looking at revamping the running back room.
As for where Pollard could go? If he’s willing to take whatever he can get, a logical spot would be Baltimore, based on their run-centric scheme and inability to keep backs healthy.
3. Dan Quinn, Defensive Coordinator
Prior to the embarrassing playoff loss, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was someone to watch among NFL head coaching circles, and he still might be. With the way his defense played (or didn’t play) against the Packers, though, it would not surprise me in the least to see Jerry Jones decide to fire him.
Maybe, though, the team and Quinn decide to call it a “mutual parting of ways,” if they so choose. Jones could opt for that route in order to give Quinn the respect and a better opportunity to find a new gig elsewhere.
What Quinn had done with the Cowboys defense was still fairly impressive. Losing Trevon Diggs was a huge hit to that unit, yet watching the rise of DaRon Bland was quite fun. Quinn deserves some credit for how that defense performed without Diggs.
Micah Parsons has also continued to dominate in several fashions under Quinn’s watch. It hasn’t mattered where Parsons lined up. He’s always a factor.
So, you can throw out the film from this Packers loss, but I think no matter what, Quinn will be out. It shouldn’t take him too long to find a new gig, though. Maybe, he gets hired on as a defensive coordinator for another year, before getting a head coaching gig.
A good spot? Chicago.
Matt Eberflus has done great things turning around that defense and calling the plays, but working together with Quinn could be an even bigger benefit to that unit.
4. Mike McCarthy, Head Coach
This is now the second year in a row the Cowboys have won double-digit games and lost in the playoffs. If you look at Mike McCarthy’s history, he has long been known as a decent regular season head coach but a guy who will come up short when it matters most.
Whether we’re talking about late in a game and his lack of awareness with game management, or just a pertinent game in general like the playoffs, these moments are not his strongsuit. And, it is likely that Jerry Jones has had enough.
Regarding Jones hiring former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, there have already been a lot of rumors and comments circulated; however, that is a matter for another day. There may also be differing views about that possibility.
And where will McCarthy wind up? Teams may not be eager to pursue him, especially in light of how the previous two years have concluded.
Who would want a head coach who is competent enough to be in the conversation but not skilled enough to win the big games?
For my part, I don’t think he makes sense right now. I could see him taking the same year off that he did following his breakup with Green Bay a couple years ago.
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