Report: Dallas Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer considering retirement after team parts ways with Mike McCarthy

Mike McCarthy’s future has been sorted out in Dallas, and there won’t be one with the Cowboys. As for his defensive coordinator in Mike Zimmer? The question becomes a little more murky.

According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the 68-year-old assistant is keeping his options open, even willing to return to the Cowboys should that be the desire of decision-makers. He could feasibly retire, or continue his coaching career elsewhere — nothing seems to be off the table.

“#Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer tells me ‘all options are open’ on his future after Dallas and Mike McCarthy parted ways Monday,” Pelissero reported. “Zimmer and other Dallas assistants whose contracts expired are now allowed to interview elsewhere. ‘I really enjoy coaching,’ Zimmer said.”

Zimmer made a name for himself as an assistant in Dallas from 1994 until 2006. He finally got a chance to lead a franchise in 2014 with the Minnesota Vikings, where he coached until 2021. He spent two seasons with Deion Sanders at Jackson State and Colorado as an analyst until the Cowboys called upon him to return in 2024.

Meanwhile, McCarthy’s Cowboys finished the 2024 season with a 7-10 record. The last time the Cowboys had a losing record was in 2020 when they finished 6-10. That was McCarthy’s first year in Dallas, and he then led the Cowboys to three consecutive 12-5 seasons. 

After the Cowboys lost to the Washington Commanders in Week 18, McCarthy said he wanted to be with the team going forward. “Absolutely. I have a lot invested here, and the Cowboys have a lot invested in me,” he said, per the Cowboys’ official website.  “And then there’s a personal side to all these decisions. So, they all point in the right direction.”

McCarthy then explained why he should continue to be the Cowboys head coach. “I don’t like to talk about myself that way, but I’ll just be clear: I’m a winner. I know how to win. I’ve won a championship. I won a championship in this building,” McCarthy said. “And that’s who I am. We’ll see where it goes.”

Moving forward, multiple teams are expected to speak with Mike McCarthy about their vacancy, like the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints. Regardless, it didn’t work out in Dallas, and the Cowboys are moving in a different direction going forward. Whether Mike Zimmer is part of their plans remains to be seen.