Mike Zimmer is the longest-tenured coach on the Cowboys' staff, having spent 12 seasons cashing paychecks from owner Jerry Jones.
In the process, he has worked his way up from defensive assistant to coordinator and earned numerous accolades from Jones. He has implemented coach Bill Parcells' favored 3-4 scheme and been complimented for his work ethic.
So why hasn't Jones extended his contract?
That's right, Zimmer is in the final year of a three-year deal that pays him more than $1 million per season.
Now, Jones and Parcells, and even Zimmer, will probably downplay the fact. They'll talk about how coaches are usually on yearly contracts anyway since that normally doesn't keep teams from firing them.
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