Polarizing Ex-Jets Coach Could Have Chance At Cowboys Job

Could the former Jets coach land with the Cowboys in some capacity?

Jul 27, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; A Dallas Cowboys helmet with Oakley visor at training camp at Marriott Residence Inn-River Ridge Playing Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys clearly are a team in flux after a surprising 2024 season.

Dallas failed to make the playoffs despite some very high expectations -- like the New York Jets. The Cowboys parted ways with their head coach Mike McCarthy and now all eyes have been on their vacant position. At this point, the job hasn't been filled yet, but there have been a lot of rumors that Dallas offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer could be in line for the job.

If Schottenheimer were to land the job, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio suggested former Jets head coach Rex Ryan could be a possible option to fill the defensive coordinator role.

"Last year, the Cowboys were looking to hire a new defensive coordinator," Florio said. "As Rex Ryan tells it, it would have been him, if they’d been offering more money. This time around, as they reportedly are poised to hire Brian Schottenheimer as Mike McCarthy’s successor, Rex could be in play again. It would be a role reversal from 2009 through 2011, when Schottenheimer served as offensive coordinator with the Jets under Ryan.

"The pairing worked. They ended up in back-to-back AFC Championships with Schottenheimer running the offense and Ryan running the show...The season didn’t go well for Dallas, for a variety of reasons. Many Cowboys fans believe it won’t go much better with Schottenheimer in charge. But Rex will make things interesting, if he ends up being the Dallas defensive coordinator, one year after (as he tells it) he nearly was."

Schottenheimer hasn't gotten the Cowboys' head coach job yet so anything could happen until a contract is signed. The Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a perfect example of that right now. If Schottenheimer were to get the job and Ryan was involved in any capacity, that certainly would make for some headlines.

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