Is Sean Payton the coach-in-waiting for Cowboys?
The Dallas Cowboys aren't ones to shy away from the theatrics.
Though owner Jerry Jones has already confirmed that Mike McCarthy will return as head coach of the Cowboys in 2022, that has not stopped the speculation that he could be replaced in the near future.
And that speculation will only continue to grow with one of the Cowboy's former assistants, Sean Payton, now sitting at home, potentially waiting for a call.
Payton served as the Cowboys assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach from 2003-2005 before being hired by the New Orleans Saints, where he won 152 games across 15 seasons as their head coach, including the franchise's only Super Bowl.
With Payton only stepping down from coaching the Saints, but not retiring for good, he has indeed left the door open to return to coaching in the future, and Colin Cowherd believes the Cowboys will make him an offer.
"I'm going to make a not very bold prediction: In one year, Sean Payton is going to be offered the Cowboys job," Cowherd said on "The Herd."
"It may be privately, it may be publicly, but he will be offered the job."
'In a year, Payton is going take Cowboys job from McCarthy' — Colin Cowherd makes a bold prediction I THE HERD
Though McCarthy still stands as the head coach of the Cowboys, Jones has not exactly put out the flames that McCarthy is in fact unsafe in his position.
Jones even went as far as to say McCarthy "knows that someday somebody other than him will be coach of the Cowboys," a comment that Rich Eisen made sure to question McCarthy about in an appearance on "The Rich Eisen Show."
"I never once felt that I wasn't going to be the head coach moving forward," McCarthy said. "Are these narratives unusual? Absolutely. I've never dealt with anything like this. Do I wish I didn't have to come on here and answer questions about this? No doubt about it."
Cowherd said that he tuned into McCarthy's chat with Eisen and his major takeaway was that the game seems to be passing the Cowboys' coach by.
"I listened to the interview this morning and I think this happens to a lot of people: you get older and you're in an industry and the industry gets really young, really fast. And that's NFL head coach. … Mike McCarthy is 58 years old and I listened to that interview and he feels old for 58 years old. Sean Payton is in his 50s but feels much more dynamic."
McCarthy led the Cowboys to the postseason in 2021, after winning the NFC East championship.
Now, he will have to try to repeat that success, and potentially top it, with his job apparently on the line.