LAS VEGAS: It was a unique moment on ESPN TV. But it’s not an uncommon Dallas Cowboys play.
Mike Zimmer is going to be the defensive coordinator for the Cowboys. There is no disagreement on this. The Jones family and head coach Mike McCarthy share the experienced coach’s desire to play in the NFL again, this time in Dallas.
CowboysSI.com has learned from a source that the delay between Thursday night, when Dallas all but announced the deal, and Monday morning, following the Super Bowl here in Las Vegas, when the hiring has not yet been officially announced, is due to a “issue” with the 67-year-old Zimmer’s contract negotiations.
Thus, the peculiar and strange conversation that took place at ESPN’s Super Bowl 2024 pregame programme on Sunday, in which Rex Ryan questioned the veracity of a report that his colleague Adam Schefter had provided?
Ryan shot back, saying, “I can honestly say right here, first off, I’m not so sure that Zimmer’s got that job right now,” in response to Schefter’s claim. Doubtful about that, really?
Ryan was technically correct, and this is still true as we write.What aspects of the conversation stood out? The “fake-debate” format popularised by ESPN features staged disagreements as a main feature of the daily schedule. However, this particular instance of a “cue-card reader” being called out directly to his face by someone “in the arena” was real.
Watching it is intriguing.
In the meanwhile, should we declare Zimmer’s hiring to be inevitable? Most likely. Is it “bizarre and unusual” for the Cowboys led by Jerry Jones to discuss a completed deal in such an open manner?
It is not, that is not. Because of Jones’ approachability and his attraction to cameras and microphones, this kind of embarrassing story feels like putting the waggon before the horse.
However, this is nothing new to Cowboys Nation.
It should be noted that Ryan was interviewed by the Cowboys, and Dallas was pleased with his visit. This fact provides Ryan, who is 61 years old and has spent seven seasons outside of the NFL following a stellar career that includes two trips to the AFC Championship Game for the New York Jets while he was head coach, with a wealth of knowledge regarding Dallas’ hiring practices.
Thus, Ryan’s statement on Sunday regarding Zimmer’s official hiring—which he obviously wanted (wants?)—was, “I can honestly say I don’t believe that’s a fact right now.” He was saying what was true.
And as of this Monday morning, with a “issue” pertaining to the contract that needs to be resolved? The fact that Mike Zimmer is unsigned is still true. Furthermore, Rex Ryan’s interest in the position is probably still true.
