One would have thought, or perhaps even hoped, that with Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys now at 3-7 following a 34-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football — their second straight defeat by 24+ points — NFL fans wouldn’t have to hear so much about “America’s Team”. It’s their worst 10-game start to a season since 2020, after all.
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Unfortunately for non-Cowboys fans — and, probably, Cowboys fans themselves as well — Dallas has been at the top of the NFL media’s hit list over the last few weeks. Whether it’s FS1 or ESPN, positing about the next steps for the Cowboys has taken precedence over discussion about the teams actually contending this year. I guess that’s what happens when you have the largest fanbase in the league.
One of the most popular threads to pull on for pundits recently has been the theory that former Cowboys All-Pro and current Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders could take over after Dallas inevitably fires Mike McCarthy following this season.
Sanders has said repeatedly that he will not be leaving Boulder anytime soon, but that hasn’t stopped the likes of Stephen A. Smith and Colin Cowherd from talking about it anyway.
Cowherd’s latest theory is his most preposterous. He is essentially suggesting that Jones do a complete overhaul of the entire roster so that it can be built in the image of Sanders and his son, presumptive 2025 No. 1 pick Shedeur Sanders.
“I would go get Deion Sanders. I would pick Shedeur Sanders. If I had to give up Micah Parsons and three firsts, I would do it.”
"I would go get Deion Sanders. I would pick Shedeur Sanders. If I had to give up Micah Parsons and three firsts, I would do it."
— @ColinCowherd on the 3-7 Cowboys pic.twitter.com/W6Tg02sBFt
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 19, 2024
The Deion suggestion has been made before, and while Sanders has said it’s not in the cards, it does make football and business sense. However, the rest of it is about as unlikely as the Cowboys winning the NFC East this year.
First of all, they just signed Dak Prescott to a four-year, $240 million deal, so he’s not going anywhere anytime soon. And even if he did, do the Cowboys really want to sell their future (three first-round picks) and the heart of their defense (Parsons) for Shedeur Sanders? He’s been the best QB in college this year, but he’s far from a generational prospect.
Just look at how a similar trade worked out for the Carolina Panthers last year when they traded the farm for the right to draft Bryce Young.
Cowherd wants Jerry Jones to swing big (we’re not even going to get into how flawed his logic was there), and he should, in spots. A big swing for a rookie QB when you already employ the highest-paid player at his position is indeed a bold move. But it’s also almost certain to be a big whiff.
Jerry Jones says Mike McCarthy is safe… for now
After last season’s shocking playoff exit, Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy was on the hot seat. However, Jerry Jones decided to stay with him. He believed that McCarthy could continue his regular season success and push for more postseason glory.
Clearly, that has not happened. And a couple of poor decisions from McCarthy on Monday compounded the calls to send him packing. However, Jones, in a rarely shrewd move, has said that he will not fire McCarthy during the season.
“I have made a change early on a coach with Chan Gailey, and I’ve always regretted that, and I’ve made a change during the season [Wade Phillips in 2010] and regretted that. And that’s the music I’m listening to.”
Coaches and managers are fired for the smallest perceived failures these days. And while McCarthy’s failures aren’t perceived — they’re glaringly real — it’s nice to see an owner recognizing that a midseason change is never the answer. Not in the NFL, at least.
