Adam Schefter Names Two Former Cowboys Who Could Be in the Hunt for Head Coaching Job

The Dallas Cowboys have a head coaching vacancy after firing Mike McCarthy on Monday. The speculation on who will replace him has already begun.

On Monday night, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter named two former Cowboys players who could be in the hunt for the job in Big D. They fit a route owner Jerry Jones has gone before with former head coach Jason Garrett.

"Obviously it's just new, it's just beginning we'll see where that brings them. A lot of names floating around out there," Schefter said. "I think in time, they could have some level of interest in the Eagles' offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore. Potentially maybe Jason Witten, an all-time franchise great, but this is very early on, very preliminary. And we'll see ultimately where Jerry Jones goes with this search but the Cowboys are now in the market for a new head coach."

Troy Aikman's comments followed an Adam Schefter report.

Schefter: "I think at some point in time, [the Dallas Cowboys] could have some level of interest in the Eagles' offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore. Potentially maybe Jason Witten, an all-time franchise great..." #NFL https://t.co/KVQjlIihBq pic.twitter.com/xvddyFVVuf
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 13, 2025

Moore was a backup quarterback for the Cowboys from 2015 through the 2017 season before retiring in 2018. He immediately jumped into coaching and took over as Dallas' quarterbacks coach in 2018. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019 and held the position through the end of the 2022 season. In January of 2023, he took over as the Los Angeles Chargers' offensive coordinator, then was hired by the Eagles to the same position before the 2024 season. The 36-year-old has never been a head coach at any level.

Witten was an 11-time Pro Bowl tight end and played for the Cowboys from 2003 until 2017, then again in 2019. Dallas selected him out of Tennessee with the 69th pick in the 2003 NFL draft. Witten owns numerous franchise records including receptions (1,215) and receiving yards (12,977). He retired in January of 2021 and took over as the head coach of Liberty Christian School in Texas. He won back-to-back state titles in 2023 and 2024 but has never coached at the NFL level.

With a number of great candidates available, it would be odd if the team only considered former Cowboys to fill the job, but Jones has always done things his way with little regard for what others think.