Jerry Jones will have a big decision to make about who he wants to coach the Dallas Cowboys next year. While he defended Mike McCarthy toward the end of the season as the Cowboys were closing in on a potential playoff spot, the horrors of this season can’t be forgotten.

And the fact that McCarthy hasn’t received a contract extension yet means Jones is weighing his options, looking at his next pawn in the coaching carousel and deciding if there’s a candidate that can do better than what McCarthy accomplished in his five seasons.

Either way, the Cowboys job is one of the most popular yet one of the hardest jobs to have. No owner is as hands-on as Jones when it comes to day-to-day as well as on the field. That’s what makes deciding which coaches Jones would look at so hard to choose from.

That said, here’s who Jones could have his eye on if he uses the next week-and-a-half to prepare McCarthy for his final days in Arlington.

The Dallas Cowboys had some serious defensive problems. As much as McCarthy was scrutinized for how much the offense and team struggled, Mike Zimmer is just as guilty. Whether Zimmer is retained next year or not, bringing in a defensive-minded coach wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Jones will probably look at a coach that has head coaching experience, though that’s not a dealbreaker. The Cowboys need a coach that can handle the pressure of being in a win-now position. That’s what the Cowboys are in seemingly every year and Vrabel definitely has something to prove after the Tennessee Titans let him go.

Bringing in a defensive coach like Vrabel would tremendously help that side of the ball. With it, Vrabel would have to find an equally talented offensive coordinator. While McCarthy didn’t see the success he ultimately wanted, Dak Prescott did look better, even jumping into MVP conversations.

The decision will probably come down to Vrabel on which team he feels is the best fit. He’ll have more than enough interviews and should get multiple offers. He just has to decide if he thinks he can work with an owner like Jones.

McCarthy was a big-name hire for the Cowboys back in 2020. It probably wasn’t the best hire, but it was a name. And that’s what Jones likes. That’s why if he does part ways with McCarthy, John Gruden would probably end up on his shortlist.

That said, this is in name only. I don’t think Gruden would be a good fit for the Cowboys because he seems like a coach that would want more control and obviously, that’s not Jones’ forte.

But if Gruden is desperate enough to get back on the sidelines, he could sway Jones enough to get a shot. Not sure this would be any better than what the McCarthy era was. But then again, anything is possible with a Jones led Cowboys team.

This is so far out there it could actually be a possibility. This feels like a move Jones would make. For one, Kellen Moore was already with the Cowboys as a player then an offensive coordinator. He went to the Los Angeles Chargers and is now with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Once he left the Cowboys he was able to spread his wings and flex his acumen as an offensive coordinator. That could be enough to convince Jones he’s ready to be a head coach. He is already familiar with the Cowboys’ offense so that familiarity would be ideal.

I still think a defensive coach would be better as that side of the ball was without a doubt the most disappointing for the Cowboys. But bringing in an offensive coach could do wonders for an offense that was very inconsistent.

I think if Moore does come back to Arlington and has a chance to lead the Cowboys, it might not be a train wreck. Again, this is more speculative than anything. Jones isn’t going to make any impulsive moves.

If he does move on from McCarthy, he’s looking at bringing someone in with coaching experience. That said anything happens with it comes to Jerry Jones.