Deion Sanders and Jason Witten are two of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ former — and favorite — players, and both have been floated as potential replacements for coach Mike McCarthy.

Jones and McCarthy agreed Monday to part ways after five seasons together. McCarthy was on an expiring contract and finished 7-10, ending a three-year run of playoff trips with 12-5 records. Dallas was 1-3 in those three postseasons.

There was no update from the club on the coaching search Tuesday, a day after Jones said one would begin following the decision to move on from McCarthy.

Jones made a splashy free agent signing with Sanders in 1995 a few months after the Cowboys lost to Sanders and the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game. The 49ers went on to win the Super Bowl.

The Cowboys won their third Super Bowl in a four-year span in that first season with Sanders, whose five seasons in Dallas matched his longest tenure with any team.

Atlanta, which drafted Sanders fifth overall in 1989, also had the Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback for five years.

Sanders just finished his second season as coach at Colorado, and he and Jones talked about the Dallas opening Monday.

Witten was the best tight end in franchise history and is the club leader in games, starts, consecutive starts, catches and yards receiving.

The 11-time Pro Bowler was interested in joining the coaching staff when McCarthy replaced Jason Garrett in 2020, but instead became the head coach at a private school in the Dallas area. Witten’s team just won a state championship.

Witten could fit the mold of Detroit coach Dan Campbell, another former Dallas tight end who led the Lions to the top seed in the NFC playoffs a season after they lost to the Niners in the NFC title game.

A Witten move would be highly unusual since his only coaching experience has been in high school. Campbell had plenty of NFL coaching experience when the Lions hired him in 2021.

Clements stepping down as Packers’ QBs coach

Tom Clements is stepping down as the Green Bay Packers quarterbacks’ coach after a 25-year NFL career in which he worked with Hall of Famer Brett Favre and four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.

Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Tuesday that the 71-year-old Clements is retiring. Clements had begun a second stint at Green Bay by joining LaFleur’s staff in 2022.

“Man, it’s been a cool ride with him for the last three years,” LaFleur said. “He’s incredibly consistent. What a great man, a great mind. Obviously he’s had the opportunity to coach some of the best. Talk about Favre, Rodgers and then the development of Jordan Love. I mean, that’s pretty cool. I know he’s meant a lot to this organization — his contributions — and he will definitely be missed. I can’t say enough great things about him.”

Clements began his coaching career after quarterbacking Notre Dame’s 1973 national championship team and playing 12 seasons in the Canadian Football League. He was the CFL’s most valuable player in 1987 and won Grey Cup titles with Ottawa in 1976 and with Winnipeg in 1984.

He spent four years as a Notre Dame assistant before beginning a three-year stint as the New Orleans Saints’ quarterbacks coach in 1997. He also coached quarterbacks with the Kansas City Chiefs (2000) and Pittsburgh Steelers (2001-03) and was the Buffalo Bills’ offensive coordinator (2004-05) before coming to Green Bay in 2006.

Clements was in Green Bay for Favre’s final two seasons with the Packers and then for Rodgers’ emergence into one of the league’s top quarterbacks. During Clements’ first stint in Green Bay, Rodgers won his first two MVP awards and led the 2010 Packers to their last Super Bowl title.

Clements was Green Bay’s quarterbacks coach from 2006-11 and offensive coordinator from 2012-14. He left to work with Kyler Murray as the Arizona Cardinals’ passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2019-20. After spending a year away from the game, Clements returned in 2022 for Rodgers’ final season in Green Bay.

Briefly

Titans >> Tennessee started its second round of interviews for a new general manager Tuesday, meeting with Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds and Buffalo director of player personnel Terrance Gray.

Jets >> New York interviewed Green Bay Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan and Miami Dolphins assistant general manager Brian Gaine on Tuesday for its general manager vacancy.

Raiders >> Las Vegas has requested interviews with Sullivan and John Spytek of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jon-Eric of the Green for its general manager job.

Falcons >> Atlanta has conducted a virtual interview with Michigan defensive coordinator Wink Martindale as it began its search to replace Jimmy Lake, who was fired as defensive coordinator following the team’s 8-9 season.