NFL

Troy Aikman drops Cowboys bombshell during broadcast

Troy Aikman dropped a huge piece of news about rising coaching star Kellen Moore.

The longtime Dallas quarterback told Joe Buck during Fox’s broadcast of the Cowboys-Giants game that Moore had actually accepted the head coaching job at Boise State and pulled an about-face on his alma mater to stay as offensive coordinator for America’s team.

“Yeah, I’ve been hearing Joe, I don’t know exactly what’s been reported, that he was offered the job and had accepted the job,” Aikman mentioned casually on Sunday right before halftime. “So I think there was a lot in the story there as far as what has kept him in Dallas.”

The Cowboys and Moore agreed to a three-year extension over the weekend, according to multiple reports. He is now under contract with Dallas through 2023.

Buck had alluded to the “potential” that Moore would be headed to Boise, where he enjoyed a prolific 50-3 college career at quarterback. Those reports, though, had not been confirmed prior to Aikman’s admission Sunday.

Aikman, 54, was a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Cowboys.

Cowboys Kellen Moore, Troy Aikman
Kellen Moore and Mike McCarthy; Troy Aikman AP; XFL via Getty Images

Despite a disappointing 6-10 finish to the season, Moore has helped the Cowboys offense perform fairly well, especially in light of the loss of Dak Prescott. The star quarterback went down in Week 5 with a season-ending ankle injury, forcing the team to turn to a combination of Andy Dalton, Garrett Gilbert, Ben DiNucci and Cooper Rush. The Cowboys finished 14th in total offensive yards and eighth in passing yards.

The 32-year-old Moore was an undrafted free agent out of the 2012 draft class and signed with the Lions. He played for the Cowboys from 2015 to 2017 and was hired shortly after as the quarterbacks coach. He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019 and first served under longtime head coach Jason Garrett. The Cowboys fired Garrett this offseason and hired former Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.

Moore’s decision to stay in Dallas could be a wager on his head coaching future in the NFL. It remans unclear if McCarthy represents a long-term solution for Dallas. He drew ire after a year out of the league for a number of questionable decisions, leading some to speculate if Moore would make the jump to head coach soon.

McCarthy is expected to return as head coach for the 2021 season but may find himself on the hot seat soon, especially with a viable replacement in the Cowboys system already.