Rex Ryan disputes Adam Schefter report of Dallas Cowboys hiring Mike Zimmer as DC

All signs point to the Dallas Cowboys inking a deal with Mike Zimmer to become the team’s next defensive coordinator but more than 72 hours after reports surfaced that the two parties were agreeing to terms, the team still has not made an official announcement. Now, Rex Ryan, who was a candidate to take the role under Mike McCarthy, is casting doubt on the defensive coordinator’s appointment.

“First off, I’m not so sure Zimmer’s got that job right now,” Ryan said on the Super Bowl LVIII pregame show on ESPN. “Not that sure about that. I can honestly say that I don’t believe that’s a fact right now.”

If Zimmer isn’t going to be the next defensive coordinator for the Cowboys, it would raise some serious questions. Especially because team owner Jerry Jones all but said that the deal was done with the former Dallas coach on Thursday at the NFL Honors show.

For Ryan’s part, he’s still interested in coaching the Cowboys defense. He told his crew on ESPN that he reached out to Mike McCarthy personally because he believes Dallas is nearing a run to a Super Bowl and he’d like to be a part of that.

“I’ve been out of the game for seven years, I’ve never called another head coach or anything like that. I called Mike McCarthy,” Ryan said. “The reason is, I want to be back on this stage (Super Bowl), if I’m going to get back into coaching. This roster, the way that it is, could be right here… I would only go in the right situation. This team, it is interesting. They’re so close to getting over the edge.”

Seahawks hire away Cowboys DL coach

The Seattle Seahawks are hiring away Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde to be the team’s new defensive coordinator under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald, according to Tom Pelissero. Durde, who had interest from Dallas, as well as Green Bay, Los Angeles and Atlanta, is getting his first opportunity to coordinate an NFL defense.

It is the highest rank Durde has reached in the NFL, however, he did coordinate the defense for the London Warriors for six seasons. A London, UK native, Durde played football in Europe with the London Olympians before making the practice squads for the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs.

He joined the Cowboys staff with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn from the Atlanta staff in 2021. He also previously worked with new Falcons head coach Raheem Morris. In Atlanta, he was an outside linebackers coach.

Though he was considered a prime in-house candidate to take over the Dallas Cowboys defense when Dan Quinn left to become the head coach of the Washington Commanders, it appears he’s headed to the West Coast with the Seahawks instead.