After the Dallas Cowboys fired Mike McCarthy, a new name emerged as a possibility for the next head coach. Considering the Cowboys' national reach and prestige within the NFL, many names came up, including former franchise legend, Jason Witten, per Nick Harris on X.

“Who will be the next head coach for the Dallas Cowboys? Buzz has already begun to circulate as a coaching search kicks into high gear,” Harris wrote. “Expect Kellen Moore to be deeply in the mix. Jon Gruden can’t be ruled out. Is Jason Witten realistic? Simply put, yes.”

Now, McCarthy's firing was both expected and somewhat surprising, since both sides had a murky uncertainty about the future.

McCarthy would say he wanted to stay with the Cowboys, then Jerry Jones would come by and drop the most cryptic message his 82-year-old brain could concoct.

After his firing, Witten emerged as a possible candidate, as validated by Harris in his column for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, calling him the “darkhorse candidate.”

“Despite no NFL experience, Jason Witten has drawn the praise of Jerry Jones for his offensive knowledge and said on a radio interview during the fall that Witten can be a top NFL head coach one day,” Harris wrote.

Since retiring in 2021, Witten became a coach at the high school level, winning two state championships with Liberty Christian High School in Argyle, TX.

And while Witten might not get the head coaching job given his lack of coaching experience, aside from high school, Jones bringing the franchise legend into their coaching staff in some capacity isn't out of the question.

However, considering the other candidates on the table, like offensive coordinator Ben Johnson of the Detroit Lions and college football head coach Deion Sanders, Witten could be better suited as an assistant to start.

Jason Witten, Deion Sanders linked to Cowboys HC job after Mike McCarthy firing

Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders walks on the field during the game against the Brigham Young Cougars at Alamodome.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

After turning Jackson State into a household name and making Colorado bowl-eligible for the first time since 2020, Sanders has made a name for himself in the coaching realm.

Now, sure, many don't care for Sanders because of his eccentric personality, but given Jones' love for the spotlight, “Coach Prime” could be a perfect fit as the Cowboys' next head coach.

As a candidate without NFL experience, similar to Witten, Sanders brings about an interesting resume.

He's an NFL Hall of Fame cornerback who was one of the most electric playmakers of his time in the league. On top of that, he went to the college football level and found success in both recruiting players for his program and then those players executing.

Now, although Sanders might want an NFL head coaching job, the Cowboys could be a great fit — if that change were to be made.