Dallas Cowboys get yet another reason to believe they will miss out on one of their favored DC options
It’s looking increasingly unlikely for this target to wind up as the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator in 2026.
So here’s where we stand with the Dallas Cowboys’ search for a new defensive coordinator: They’ve interviewed nine candidates total, three of which had follow-up, in-person interviews.
And there’s still interest in pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard, who can’t be hired until the Denver Broncos are eliminated on Sunday or win the Super Bowl. Leonhard is an important piece to the puzzle because early intel suggested Leonhard was one of the favorites for the job.
However, the Cowboys may have gotten yet another reason to believe Leonhard will head elsewhere when it’s all said and done. The way I see it, it’s likely he’ll wind up with a division rival. And on Wednesday night, we got yet another reason to believe so.
Giants hint at Leonhard being their target
Last week, I wrote about reports on Leonhard being a serious defensive coordinator candidate for the New York Giants. Leonhard played for now Giants head coach John Harbaugh in 2008 at Baltimore and started 13 games on defense for him.
And considering Harbaugh’s deal is rumored to be worth near $100 million over five years, it’s safe to assume they’re ready for any bidding war that comes their way when it comes to coordinator hires. That’s a bad sign for the Cowboys, specially because working with Harbaugh has to be more enticing than working with Brian Schottenheimer based on resume and overall job security alone. How willing is Jones to outbid the Giants organization and make the financials outweigh that?
To make matters worse, on Wednesday, the Cowboys got another reason to believe the Giants are the favored team to land Leonhard: Harbaugh let the majority of the Giants defensive coaches go, but there’s one who is being invited to stick around: Outside linebackers coach and interim DC (2025) Charlie Bullen.
Why does he matter? Bullen and Leonhard worked together at Illinois in 2023, and he could be the perfect complement for Leonhard as he specializes in the defensive front while Leonhard specializes in the secondary.
“(Harbaugh) met personally today with with Charlie Bullen,” insider Connor Hughes posted on social media Wednesday night. “Harbaugh is interested in having him return on the new coordinator’s staff. I’m told a return to (New York) is something Bullen is open to as well, although several teams are circling him.”
While this is just speculation, it would make sense for the Giants to want Bullen on Leonhard’s staff specifically. And if the latter is really Harbaugh’s guy, it’s tough to see him opting for another destination. On a related note, the Cowboys also interviewed Bullen for their DC opening earlier in the month.
Other candidates
If the Cowboys do miss out on Leonhard, the other three candidates to watch (based on those who had a second round of interviews) are:
- Daronte Jones (Minnesota Vikings pass game coordinator)
- Christian Parker (Philadelphia Eagles pass game coordinator)
- Jonathan Gannon (former Arizona Cardinals head coach)
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