The Dallas Cowboys blindisded fans when Brian Schottenheimer was mentioned as a potential candidate for their head coaching vacancy. Not only is Schottenheimer a candidate, but he's emerged as the prohibitive favorite to get the job.
A rumor from 105.3 The Fan in Dallas suggested the Cowboys were readying an offer for Schottenehimer, presumably to make him head coach. Then, Schottenheimer interviewed on Tuesday for over four hours.
No agreement was reached, but Schottenheimer was asked back to the facility on Wednesday to continue the dialogue.
Of the three other candidates that have interviewed - Kellen Moore, Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier - only Schottenheimer has taken a second interview. The second interview reportedly lasted as long, if not longer, than the initial sit-down. That face-to-face time with Jones is obviously a big deal, so Cowboys fans have braced themselves for the Adam Schefter or Ian Rapoport notification.
However, maybe they should hold off.
Cowboys' pursuit of Brian Schottenheimer as head coach takes unexpected turn
Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram (subscription required) understands Schottenheimer becoming the head coach isn't the done deal the masses are making it out to be.
"Could Schottenheimer be the hire? One long-tenured staffer thinks so, while others in the building remain more confident in his chances to be retained as offensive coordinator, not as head coach," Harris writes. "Depending on who an eventual head coach hire would be in the event he is retained with his current role, Schottenheimer has made clear his desire to be an offensive play-caller in 2025."
RELATED: 2 Cowboys head coach candidates emerge as clear favorites for the job
There's been so much head coach buzz following Schottenheimer over the last 48 hours that Cowboys fans haven't even stopped to ponder the possibility of him returning as offensive coordinator.
While the vast majority of the fan base does not want Schottenheimer as head coach, Schotty as offensive coordinator would arguably be the worse of the two outcomes. It all hinges on who's in charge of calling plays.
As Harris notes, Schottenheimer has been adamant about wanting to call plays next season. He's been on staff for three years and sat back as Kellen Moore called plays in 2022 before Mike McCarthy took the reins in 2023 and '24.
Schottenheimer's excellent motivation and people skills paired with his uninspiring 14-year track record as a play-caller lead us to believe he'd be a better head coach than offensive coordinator. If the 51-year-old returns as OC, it stands to reason he would call plays.
That would all but rule out Kellen Moore as a head coach candidate because Moore isn't taking the job if he's not calling plays. Does that open the door for Robert Saleh, who was the first to interview with Dallas in-person, to make a late push?
All we can do is the speculate until a decision is made, but Harris offered some clarity on the situation: While Schottenheimer may still be the favorite for the HC job, he is still very much in the mix to be the offensive coordinator as well.