It’s a daily conversation between Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and the medical staff. Who’s available to play? The results impact so much of the on-the-field product, and that’s where defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer takes over.

When a team like the Dallas Cowboys has a season like this one, it can be easy to pile on. Everything from the run of 12-win seasons to the playoff catastrophe against the Green Bay Packers in January to the all-in comments to the offseason approach and missing the playoffs altogether are ammunition for fans,

Signed to a one-year deal over the offseason, 2024 has been a prove-it season of sorts for Mike Zimmer. With a lifetime of experience and plenty of skins on the wall in Dallas, Zimmer didn’t need to prove his value to the Cowboys organization, he had to prove his value to the current roster and to whomever takes the head coaching reins in 2025.