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If.
Just think what would happen if the Cowboys were to make a deep playoff run in 2026... or even, for argument's sake, hoist the Lombardi Trophy come February.
The long Super Bowl drought- and its omnipresence as a talking point- would be over. The championship parade would be epic. The career of Dak Prescott would take on a whole new luster overnight. Brian Schottenheimer would have achieved something in two years that his legendary father never did in 21 seasons. Jerry Jones would be insufferable.
And two of the architects of that hypothetical success would almost assuredly draw heavy interest from the league's other teams, possibly sending the Cowboys right back to the drawing board for 2027.
Zac Taylor (Bengals), Aaron Glenn (Jets), Todd Bowles (Buccaneers), and Shane Steichen (Colts) have already been put on the proverbial hot seat, at least by some outlets, for the upcoming season. Others are openly wondering about the job security of Dan Quinn in Washington and even Nick Sirianni in Philadelphia.
With a strong showing in 2026, Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams and defensive coordinator Christian Parker would likely be in the mix for any of those jobs. PFF recently rolled out its watchlist of 15 candidates for the NFL's next head coach openings, and both Dallas assistants received a mention.
PFF's Bradley Locker writes of Adams:
Adams has never been the head coach anywhere, but he is definitely on the league's collective radar. This May, he was one of 16 coaches to go through the NFL's accelerator program, an initiative designed to help identify rising assistants with head-coach potential.
Prior to Dallas, Adams was a position coach in Arizona and Indianapolis. Collegiately, he worked his way up the ranks with stints at Boise State, Western Washington, Sacramento State, San Jose State, and Colorado.
Parker's ascension to the coordinator level has been nothing short of meteoric. He went from Virginia State to Norfolk State, then Notre Dame and Texas A&M in six short years before making the leap to the pros. Each of his stops with the Packers, Broncos, and Eagles saw both a rapid increase in responsibility on the sideline and unquestionable results on the field.
Parker has already been answering questions about his head coaching future despite not yet having called a single game as a coordinator. But it doesn't take long hearing him mic-d up at practice or listening to him describe his various teaching methods or watching his players respond to him to know he's the real deal and is undoubtedly destined for the big chair somewhere soon.
Says PFF's Locker:
There's that word again.
If.
Cowboys fans are optimistic about a dramatic turnaround on the field this season. But if they get what they're really hoping for in 2026, there's a good chance they may find themselves watching both Adams and Parker hit the trail in 2027.
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys land 2 assistants on PFF's head coach candidate watchlist
Continue reading...
Just think what would happen if the Cowboys were to make a deep playoff run in 2026... or even, for argument's sake, hoist the Lombardi Trophy come February.
The long Super Bowl drought- and its omnipresence as a talking point- would be over. The championship parade would be epic. The career of Dak Prescott would take on a whole new luster overnight. Brian Schottenheimer would have achieved something in two years that his legendary father never did in 21 seasons. Jerry Jones would be insufferable.
And two of the architects of that hypothetical success would almost assuredly draw heavy interest from the league's other teams, possibly sending the Cowboys right back to the drawing board for 2027.
Zac Taylor (Bengals), Aaron Glenn (Jets), Todd Bowles (Buccaneers), and Shane Steichen (Colts) have already been put on the proverbial hot seat, at least by some outlets, for the upcoming season. Others are openly wondering about the job security of Dan Quinn in Washington and even Nick Sirianni in Philadelphia.
With a strong showing in 2026, Cowboys offensive coordinator Klayton Adams and defensive coordinator Christian Parker would likely be in the mix for any of those jobs. PFF recently rolled out its watchlist of 15 candidates for the NFL's next head coach openings, and both Dallas assistants received a mention.
PFF's Bradley Locker writes of Adams:
Adams has never been the head coach anywhere, but he is definitely on the league's collective radar. This May, he was one of 16 coaches to go through the NFL's accelerator program, an initiative designed to help identify rising assistants with head-coach potential.
Prior to Dallas, Adams was a position coach in Arizona and Indianapolis. Collegiately, he worked his way up the ranks with stints at Boise State, Western Washington, Sacramento State, San Jose State, and Colorado.
Parker's ascension to the coordinator level has been nothing short of meteoric. He went from Virginia State to Norfolk State, then Notre Dame and Texas A&M in six short years before making the leap to the pros. Each of his stops with the Packers, Broncos, and Eagles saw both a rapid increase in responsibility on the sideline and unquestionable results on the field.
Parker has already been answering questions about his head coaching future despite not yet having called a single game as a coordinator. But it doesn't take long hearing him mic-d up at practice or listening to him describe his various teaching methods or watching his players respond to him to know he's the real deal and is undoubtedly destined for the big chair somewhere soon.
Says PFF's Locker:
There's that word again.
If.
Cowboys fans are optimistic about a dramatic turnaround on the field this season. But if they get what they're really hoping for in 2026, there's a good chance they may find themselves watching both Adams and Parker hit the trail in 2027.
Todd is on X at @ToddBrock24f7. Also, follow Cowboys Wire on Facebook to join in on the conversation with fellow fans!
This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys land 2 assistants on PFF's head coach candidate watchlist
Continue reading...
