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Wednesday marks the conference championship game participants doing the media rounds and getting ready to hopefully punch their ticket to Super Bowl LII.
When you’re not one of those teams, like the Dallas Cowboys, you’re focused on the future.
Part of the future for the 2018 Cowboys is filling out the coaching staff. There have been a lot of murmurings about so-and-so staying, so-and-so leaving, and so-and-so leaving to interview but ultimately coming back.
The Cowboys still have vacancies to fill on their coaching staff, and a new name is suddenly available. It’s been speculated that he would be for quite some time, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have officially parted ways with offensive coordinator Todd Haley.
Sources: The #Steelers are allowing OC Todd Haley to walk now that he’s out of his contract. Pittsburgh expected to have a new OC.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 17, 2018
Back at regular season’s end, word of Todd Haley returning to Dallas was floated a lot. This was before the Cowboys went a bit all-in on Scott Linehan so the position of offensive coordinator isn’t up for grabs. Haley is a hot name and will likely be offered that position by someone, just not the Cowboys.
For those unaware, Haley served as the team’s wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator under Bill Parcells from 2004 to 2006. He is credited with helping to develop Tony Romo (as are other coaches).
The Cowboys are currently looking at options for their wide receivers coach. They’ve interviewed Miles Austin and Sanjay Lal for the position, but Todd Haley is a difficult name to ignore. It makes sense for Dallas to do what they can to land him, however difficult it may look on paper.
Haley and Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger infamously never got along, but it’s hard to ignore the successes they had together.
Steelers offensive ranks with Haley
— Dave Richard (@daverichard) January 17, 2018
Yards/gm
2012: 21
2013: 20
2014: 2
2015: 3
2016: 7
2017: 3
Pts/gm
2012: 22
2013: 16
2014: 7
2015: 4
2016: 10
2017: 8
Should be noted that Todd Haley’s ouster comes three days after his offense scored 42 points on the NFL’s second-ranked defense in a divisional playoff game. And after a year during which Pittsburgh ranked third in the NFL in total offense.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 17, 2018
Looking at what the Steelers offense has been, many Cowboys fans have fantasized about Haley using Ezekiel Elliott and Dez Bryant in the ways he used Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown. There’s no denying he has an ability to use his assets well.
Dallas has shown over this offseason (we’re already two weeks in) that they’re committed to Scott Linehan, but they’ve also shown an ability to work creatively with various titles on top of position coordinators. Could the Cowboys get creative enough with this to lure Haley in? Who knows.
For now Todd Haley is a free agent. And for now, we wait as Dallas tries to fill out its coaching staff.
Would you be interested in a Haley reunion if the Cowboys could make it work?