Mike Zimmer, who helped turn around the Dallas defense over the course of a difficult 7-10 season, reportedly won’t come back to the Cowboys with Brian Schottenheimer in charge.

FRISCO – Just a few days ago, Mike Zimmer, the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator, wasa saying “all options are open” in regard to his coaching future.

But now, in the wake of the Cowboys having made the decision to move on from Mike McCarthy?

A source suggests that Zimmer is closing his door here at The Star.

The early conversation for head coach around here included some expected names like Robert Saleh and Kellen Moore and then some wild card coaches like Jason Witten and Deion Sanders being mentioned.

We discussed, too, the idea of Jones loyalist Zimmer being in the “back pocket” as an option.

But then the candidacy of offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer accelerated with his two days of interviews, and now he will move up to the top chair.

Meaning Zimmer will likely move on.

We’re not sure if this is a sour note in regard to the inner-workings of the 2024 coaching staff; did D-coordinator Zimmer and O-coordinator Schottenheimer, working McCarthy, not click?

Zimmer, 68, He signed a one-year deal with Dallas last offseason, returning to the sidelines for the first time since the Vikings fired him after the 2022 season.

He did help turn around the Dallas defense over the course of a difficult 7-10 season. But he was also recently engaged to his now fiancée and has talked of a possible retirement, with his grandchildren and his racehorses taking priority in his life.

Other “options” could be with a number of different teams for Zimmer; he retains a connection with the Bengals, and he could hook back up with buddy Deion Sanders … in Colorado, let’s say.

But Zimmer and the work doe with Cowboys’ defensive star Micah Parsons and others?

That chapter appears to be done.