4 Cowboys who might lose their jobs after Wild Card meltdown, and where they’ll land

4 Cowboys who might lose their jobs after Wild Card meltdown, and where they’ll land

That isn’t precisely how the Dallas Cowboys had their Sunday afternoon planned.

The Cowboys will now begin their offseason sooner than they had planned after losing to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round.

Furthermore, based on what we know of Jerry Jones, we should anticipate some extreme actions in the near future. But how extreme?

In the coming days and weeks, there are a few names to keep an eye on; these are men who may end up losing their jobs in one way or another.

Which names ought to be on our screens? Let’s talk about a select few.

1. Johnathan Hankins, DL

Throughout his career, defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins has occasionally been regarded as a potent run defender,

but with this past season—and more especially, the things the Packers did to him on Sunday—he is all but gone.

Hankins’ contract is up, and he is about thirty-two years old.

Without a doubt, he will be given permission to walk. In that game, the Cowboys allowed 143 rushing yards,

with Aaron Jones accounting for 118 of those yards. Fans should not be shocked,

considering Hankins played a significant role in this. After all,

Pro Football Focus gave him a run defence grade of 49.9 for the entire season.

Throughout his career, defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins has occasionally been regarded as a potent run defender,

but with this past season—and more especially, the things the Packers did to him on Sunday—he is all but gone.

Hankins’ contract is up, and he is about thirty-two years old.

Without a doubt, he will be given permission to walk. In that game, the Cowboys allowed 143 rushing yards,

with Aaron Jones accounting for 118 of those yards. Fans should not be shocked, considering Hankins played a significant role in this. After all,

Pro Football Focus gave him a run defence grade of 49.9 for the entire season.

However, Hankins’ performance was exactly average, as was the Cowboys line’s overall performance.

They weren’t particularly good at run defence during the season.

They allowed more than 112 yards of rushing per game.

To address this problem heading into the upcoming season, Dallas needs to somewhat restructure their inside line.

Where in free agency might Hankins end up? Given his age and the way he performed this season,

it might take some time for him to sign, but it’s possible that a competitive club that just needs more depth will sign him.

2. Tony Pollard, RB

In the modern NFL, running backs do not have it easy. A running back rarely signs a second deal worth more than a few thousand dollars. Nowadays, by the age of 27, most backs’ careers are pretty well ended, or at least trending downward.

Pollard, who turns 27 in April, recently signed a one-year contract worth over $10 million.

In addition, he just had a season in which he averaged a meagre 4.0 yards per run and was not nearly as dynamic as we had become accustomed to watching him before the 2023 campaign.

Pollard ran 15 times for 56 yards against the Packers, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry.

Had it not been for his 11-yard touchdown run, his average would have been far lower.

The Cowboys have no chance in hell of giving Pollard a long-term contract this summer,

and given his play, it would be a dumb move to award him another franchise tag.

In spurts, Rico Dowdle looked good when he got the chance. Regardless of Dowdle’s availability, ‘the Cowboys intend to modernise the running back room.

And where may Pollard go? Given their run-centric design and incapacity to maintain healthy backs,

‘Baltimore would seem like a logical place for him to go if he’s prepared to take whatever he can get.

3. Dan Quinn, Defensive Coordinator

Dan Quinn, the defensive coordinator, was, and perhaps still is, a man to watch in NFL head coaching circles until that humiliating playoff loss.

But given how his defence performed—or failed to perform—against the Packers,

I wouldn’t be shocked if Jerry Jones decided to let him go.

However, if they so desire, perhaps Quinn and the crew opt to refer to it as a “mutual parting of ways.”

Jones might choose to go that way in order to show Quinn some respect and provide him

with a better chance to get employment elsewhere.

Even so, Quinn’s work with the Cowboys defence was quite remarkable.

That team suffered greatly with the loss of Trevon Diggs, but it was entertaining to witness DaRon Bland’s ascent.

Quinn should take some of the credit for the defense’s performance in Diggs’ absence.

Under Quinn’s direction, Micah Parsons has also persisted in dominating in a number of ways. Where Parsons aligned himself hasn’t mattered. He always plays a role.

You can discard the video from this Packers defeat,

but I believe Quinn will be out regardless of what happens.

Finding a new job shouldn’t be too difficult for him, though.

Perhaps he will be retained for another season as a defensive coordinator before accepting a position as head coach.

An ideal location? Chicago.

Although Matt Eberflus has done a fantastic job of leading the plays and turning around the defence,

collaborating with Quinn could be even more advantageous for that team.

4. Mike McCarthy, Head Coach

The Cowboys have now won double digit games and lost in the opening round of the playoffs for the second consecutive season.

Given his past, Mike McCarthy has a reputation as a respectable head coach during the regular season

but a loser in crucial situations.

These are not his strongest moments, whether it’s late in a game and his incompetence in managing the game,

or just a meaningful game in general like the playoffs.

Furthermore, Jerry Jones has probably had enough.

Regarding Jones hiring former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick—a subject for another day,

we have already heard a lot of speculation and comments.

There may also be differing views about that possibility.

And where will McCarthy wind up? Teams may not be eager to pursue him,

especially in light of how the previous two years have concluded.

Who would want a head coach who is competent enough to be in the conversation but not skilled enough to win the big games?

For my part, I don’t think he makes sense right now.

I could see him taking the same year off that he did following his breakup with Green Bay a couple years ago.

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