DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore reached a mutual decision to part ways on Monday, paving the way for the Los Angeles Chargers to swoop in and hire Moore for the same role less than 24 hours later.
Moore will get a chance to work with up-and-coming star quarterback Justin Herbert in Los Angeles, jumpstarting an offense that battled inconsistency last season, culminating in an embarrassing meltdown in the AFC wild card loss to Jacksonville.
For the Cowboys, this move clears the way for head coach Mike McCarthy to call plays in Dallas, which leaves the hosts of the Locked on Cowboys podcast with more questions than answers.
"I want to see the full plan," co-host Landon McCool said. "Does this mean we are going to be using some form of the Kellen Moore offense that now Mike McCarthy is going to be calling? Or are we reinstalling the Mike McCarthy offense with whoever we actually hire to be offensive coordinator?"
Moore spent four seasons as offensive coordinator in Dallas, and his offense ranked in the top four in points per game (27.7) yards per game (391) and third-down conversion percentage (44%).
McCarthy's pedigree working with NFL offenses speaks for itself, with time spent in New Orleans and San Francisco as an offensive coordinator before 12 years as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers, where he and Aaron Rodgers won 125 games and won a Super Bowl.
Still, moving on from a highly sought after offensive coordinator is an eyebrow raising move for a team that had an extremely solid regular season, even if the playoffs did not go according to plan.
"Why let Kellen Moore go after a 12-5 season, where you went 4-1 with a backup quarterback, and were one of the highest scoring teams in the league?" Locked on Cowboys co-host Marcus Mosher mused. "Why did you feel the need to make such drastic changes in an NFC that, frankly, looks like it could be wide open next year?"
It's a question Cowboys fans will be asking themselves for the time being - and if McCarthy's offensive playbook fails it will be even more of a conversation during the 2023 regular season.
Moore now heads to Los Angeles to help an offense that was already top ten in scoring last year under coordinator Joe Lombardi, at 22.4 points per game, but who struggled to run the football at a consistent level.
Locked on Chargers host David Droegemeier is excited about the hire for Los Angeles and the fit alongside Herbert, Austin Ekeler, and the rest of the Chargers offense.
"He has that unique blend of youth and offensive play-calling experience," Droegemeier said. " I think the Chargers were looking for a unicorn to fill that position, and I think they might have found him."
For more on Moore's hiring, and how it will impact LA's offense, check out the Locked on Chargers podcast. And for more on Dallas' search to replace Moore, check out Locked on Cowboys.