Mike Zimmer, the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, was introduced on Wednesday. Dan Quinn, who is now the head coach of the Washington Commanders, will be replaced by him.

Dallas had performed admirably during the regular season, despite its heavy reliance on subpar quarterback play. The team’s demise would come from a lack of physicality, discipline, and effective run defense after they had appeared to be an All-Decade defense through September. This resulted in a 48-32 defeat to the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round, which served as a perfect example of these shortcomings and raised the prospect of change.

Zimmer’s hire is an attempt to make the adjustments necessary to make the Cowboys’ defense a championship-caliber unit. However, speculation that defensive backs coach Al Harris could be a part of the coaching staff’s turnover had fans concerned that Zimmer would do more harm than good

The supporters of Dallas may relax. In 2024, the adored Harris will make a comeback.

Regarding Harris, Zimmer remarked, “I’m excited to work with him and I’ve heard about all the great work he does.”

Harris was one of the few, if any, players who had a greater influence on the growth of cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. Their propensity to seek out turnovers has made both of them certified difference makers. Although it can be challenging to translate that talent from year to year, Harris has the support of both his superiors and his understudies.

After Quinn’s departure, Diggs backed Harris for the defensive coordinator opening.

Harris has been with the Cowboys since 2020. They blocked him from interviewing for a spot on Quinn’s staff in Washington, where some expected him to ultimately land.

Having played cornerback for the Tampa Bay Bucs, Philadelphia Eagles, Green Bay Packers, Miami Dolphins, and St. Louis Rams over the course of 15 NFL seasons,

Harris advanced to the position of coach right away. He spent three seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs after starting as an intern with Miami. He worked his way up to become the defensive backs coach there from defensive assistant. Prior to his time in Dallas, he worked for Florida Atlantic University for a year as a defensive assistant.

The Cowboys are in the process of filling out the defensive staff, with Quinn taking Joe Whitt with him to Washington and with Aden Durde getting the Seattle coordinator job. In fact, while Zimmer sat with boss Mike McCarthy as the press conference at The Star, Zimmer’s phone rang