Carolina Panthers: Five possible replacements for Ron Rivera

Jason Garrett

Assuming Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys finally let go of Jason Garrett, he could be at the top of Carolina’s head-coaching list. After spending eight seasons as a backup quarterback with the Cowboys and Giants, Garrett spent two seasons as the Miami Dolphins’ quarterbacks coach in 2005 and 2006 before the Cowboys hired him as the team’s offensive coordinator/assistant head coach from 2007 to 2010.

When Dallas fired Wade Phillips halfway through the 2010 season, Garrett took over for the remainder of the year, and was hired as the full-time head coach beginning in 2011. Since taking over for Phillips, he has a career record of 83-65 and has led the Cowboys to the playoffs three times, winning the division in each of those three years.

If Garrett is indeed fired by the Cowboys, he would offer the Panthers a proven head coach with plenty of experience. On paper, Garrett seems to be one of the safest hires on the market, and that simple fact will make him unemployed for a very brief time. Looking past his impressive regular-season record, the single-most significant knock on Garrett is the fact that he has won just two playoff games up to this point, and has never led his team past the Divisional Round.

Another big thing Garrett is often criticized for is his reputation for underperforming with the amount of talent on his rosters. That very well could lead to his firing this offseason–even if the Cowboys make the postseason. Nonetheless, if Tepper wants a safe option for his first head-coaching hire, Garrett would be the perfect fit, and would undoubtedly make the Panthers a competitive football team.