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Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
FRISCO, Texas — Sometime soon the Dallas Cowboys will introduce the 10th coach in franchise history, and owner and general manager Jerry Jones will firmly believe he has the right coach to take his team to a Super Bowl for the first time since 1995.
Before that, however, Jones is coming off a bad weekend.
While the Cowboys interviewed Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore on Friday and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh on Saturday and prepared to speak with Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier on Monday, Jones saw the Washington Commanders and Eagles make it to the NFC Championship Game.
The Cowboys’ closest rivals are one step away from a Super Bowl appearance. Either the Eagles or the Commanders are going to play in the title game. The Cowboys seem far away from a Super Bowl appearance following their 7-10 finish in 2024 and with a roster filled with questions.
Washington’s victory over the Detroit Lions had to be particularly galling for Jones since the Cowboys now have the longest championship game drought in the NFC at 29 seasons. The Commanders are in their first NFC title game since the 1991 season. Only the AFC’s Cleveland Browns (1989) and Miami Dolphins (1992) have longer championship game droughts.
Washington is in the championship game with a plethora of Cowboys ties — former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as head coach, former assistant Joe Whitt as defensive coordinator, Tyler Biadasz at center, Dorance Armstrong at defensive end, Dante Fowler Jr. at linebacker, Noah Igbinoghene at cornerback and a few others, as well.
Jones did his best to retain Quinn while Quinn was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. He made Quinn one of the highest-paid defensive coordinators in the league. He even contemplated naming him head coach over Mike McCarthy but didn’t. The Cowboys’ wild-card loss to the Green Bay Packers last January said just as much about Quinn as it did McCarthy with how poorly the defense performed.
The Commanders’ turnaround coincides with new ownership and a new quarterback, rookie Jayden Daniels, but Quinn has the Commanders in a spot they haven’t been since before the Cowboys won Super Bowls at the conclusion of the 1992, 1993 and 1995 seasons. The last time Quinn was in this spot as a head coach was when he took the Atlanta Falcons to Super Bowl LI in the 2017 season.
The Eagles are 60 minutes away from their third Super Bowl appearance since 2017.
They have built a roster through quality drafting, shrewd roster moves and salary cap maneuvering. They have high-paid players in quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, wide receivers and offensive linemen.
While there might come a time when the Eagles will have to pay a salary cap penance for it all, they are in line to compete for a Super Bowl again.
What would Cowboys fans give for that?
For now, they must hope Jones’ next head coach is the one to get them back to the Super Bowl, unlike his past six choices (Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Bill Parcells, Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett and McCarthy.)
Moore’s history with the Cowboys as a player, assistant coach and offensive coordinator helps his candidacy, as does his relationship with quarterback Dak Prescott. Saleh’s interview lasted more than four hours on Saturday, and a source said it was impressive, but he might have opportunities elsewhere as a head coach (Jacksonville?) or defensive coordinator (San Francisco?). Frazier had a three-year run as head coach of the Minnesota Vikings that did not go well (21-33-1), but he is one of the more respected coaches across the league.
There might be one good thing for Dallas to come from Washington’s win. The Cowboys can now put in a request to interview Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.
Because they did not make a quicker decision on McCarthy’s future and did not submit a request to speak with either during the Lions’ bye week, they needed to wait until Detroit’s season ended.
Johnson might be a favorite in Las Vegas and Chicago, so he might already have a deal ready to go with the Raiders or Bears.
Glenn played two years at cornerback for the Cowboys. He was able to patch the Lions’ defense together despite a number of injuries in 2024, although he did not have answers for Daniels and Washington offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury in Saturday’s loss.
Speaking of Kingsbury, perhaps the Cowboys will wait until he’s available. Jones has said in the past he likes Kingsbury, the former Texas Tech and Arizona Cardinals coach. The Cardinals have not made it to the playoffs since Kingsbury’s departure.
Perhaps Kingsbury’s second time around as a head coach could go as well as Quinn’s.
But for now, all Jones can do is sit and watch as NFC East rivals battle for something he and the Cowboys have not sniffed in nearly three decades.
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