The drama has ended. The Cowboys and Mike Zimmer have come to an agreement for Zimmer to take over as
defensive coordinator, ending speculation that Rex Ryan would step in at the last minute to take over. After being
absent of football since his firing as the Vikings’ head coach following the 2021 season, Zimmer is set to return to
Dallas as the defensive coordinator, according to sources that NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero specifically mentioned on
Thursday of last week.
What is the current status of the Dallas defensive coordinator position? When Adam Schefter stated in an ESPN live
report on Sunday that the Cowboys “have hired” Zimmer, Rex Ryan wasn’t having it. While working on the piece,
ESPN commentator Ryan questioned Schefter’s accuracy.
“To start with, I’m not convinced Zimmer is doing that job at the moment. About that, I’m not sure. Right now, I can
honestly tell that I don’t think it to be true,” Ryan remarked.
Ryan is still a contender for the position, according to Schefter, who made an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show
on Monday. Zimmer hasn’t completed anything with the Cowboys.
Schefter told McAfee, “I’m going to be fully transparent,” elaborating on his lack of agreement with Ryan on Sunday.
“Mike Zimmer still has an outstanding agreement. And then they had contacted Rex, and they had contacted him
around fifteen minutes prior to that section, just to say, ‘Hey, any shot at this?’ That is the source of the confusion.
The agreement is still open, so they’re not quite done with Zimmer.”
Despite a roadblock in the discussions, Mike Fischer of Cowboys Country is reporting—citing a source—that there is
“still confidence” Zimmer’s contract will be finalized.
“I don’t believe it to be lethal. My source tells me it’s contract related. Additionally, there is still hope that we will
succeed,” Fischer stated. Drama is rife in Big D, and time will tell if Zimmer is about to return to the game or is
content to sit it out from his Kentucky ranch for another year.
