DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - After an offseason in which head coaching opportunities were firmly on the table for him, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will return to Arlington next season.
And during a recent interview with DallasCowboys.com, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hinted that at least one of the reasons for Quinn returning, could be his belief that he could be taking Mike McCarthy's job after next season.
"He stays here because there always has been, with every coach, every one of those three coaches, have said they'd love to be the head coach of the Cowboys. Every one. Every one," Jones said. "So my point is that has, in my mind, a lot of logic as to why they might not take a job now rather than one or wait and see how the cards go in the future."
And when asked about Quinn in particular, and whether or not he could end up being a candidate, Jones was far from dismissive about the possibility of him taking over for McCarthy after 2022.
"He's certainly qualified. He's very qualified," Jones said. "Yes, I would consider. If I didn't have a coach, I would have been interviewing him for coach."
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So what does that mean for Mike McCarthy himself?
If nothing else, McCarthy will be well aware of his short leash, and the temperature of his seat heading into the new season.
Two years into his career with Dallas, McCarthy is 18-15 as the Cowboys head coach, and has yet to win a playoff game with a team that many consider to be one of the most talented in the NFL.
That is a similar problem the Cowboys had with the coach that McCarthy was brought in to replace, Jason Garrett, who went 85-67 and made the playoffs just three times in 10 seasons.
Now, the only question is whether or not McCarthy will have the same amount of slack as his predecessor, or if someone like Quinn or Kellen Moore, is already on the radar to succeed him.
"Mike knows that someday, somebody other than him will be coach of the Cowboys," Jones said.