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The 2024 NFL head coach hiring cycle is complete, as the Washington Commanders, the last of the seven teams needing a new head coach, have hired Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
With the Cowboys having an opening on their staff as defensive coordinator, could they potentially look to Wink Martindale to fill it?
Martindale, of course, resigned from the Giants amidst a major disagreement that reportedly led to an expletive-filled shouting match with head coach Brian Daboll the day after the Giants finished a disappointing 6-11 season. Martindale was reportedly upset that Daboll fired his top two defensive assistants, Drew and Kevin Wilkins, whom he brought to New York from Baltimore.
Since storming out of the Giants’ East Rutherford headquarters in a huff, the reported market for Martindale has been lukewarm. He drew interest from Jacksonville, but that job went to Ryan Nielsen.
There was also a feeling that Martindale could land in Philadelphia, but head coach Nick Sirianni instead hired Vic Fangio to replace Sean Desai, Martindale having not gotten an interview. Meanwhile, the defensive coordinator roles on several other teams that changed head coaches have been filling up.
That said, with Quinn having left for Washington, the Dallas Cowboys have an opening on Mike McCarthy’s staff, and what better way for the Cowboys to “stick it” to the Giants than to add Martindale to the staff?
To be clear, there have been no reports linking Martindale to Dallas, and it’s not even known if McCarthy might favor such a move. But the scenario is exactly the kind of move that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones might embrace, given his penchant for making a splash in the headlines.
As for Martindale, a move to the Cowboys, where he would face the Giants twice a year, could add some extra spice to an already heated division rivalry.
