Garrett Podell

I believe he was on the West team head coach winning head coach spoke to him and he said the Shrine Bowl was a great experience for him.

It was his first real like head coach experience of really.

putting together a practice plan and making sure all the logistics around getting the players ready especially players he had never really worked before because it's an all-star draft showcase and uh he he really said he learned a lot from that uh experience in terms of the management of it all and so lunda wells he's been the cowboys tight ends coach for the last six seasons

Before that, he was with the New York Giants for eight seasons.

And in the last six years with Dallas, you've seen the growth and development of Dalton Schultz, who earned a Pro Bowl nod, is now with the Houston Texans.

Jake Ferguson, who was a fourth-round pick, he was a Pro Bowler in 2023 and was up there in the NFL in touchdown catches this season.

So I think Lunda's done a good job developing tight ends.

Dalton Schultz leaves, another Pro Bowl caliber tight end is developed.

And the players absolutely love Linda Wells.

For media access after practices during the week, we'll be standing outside the hallway of the locker room and you'll see assistant coaches, Schottenheimer players, jog into the locker room after practice.

almost every single time you see linda wells walk down the hallway there's at least one or two players who he's got his arm around them or they have their arm around him and they're deep in conversation about what just happened at practice getting feedback so he's somebody who definitely gets the buy-in of the players and is one of the assistants who i've just

observing tangentially in small moments like that, who seems to really be comfortable getting in players' ears, and players have no issues listening to him.

And I asked him, how would you feel about working with Mike McCarthy again?

And he said he loved that opportunity and said it would be a great opportunity, and he found out he was going to be a candidate for the job last Saturday, and he's gearing up for those interviews.

Yeah, I think that's a fair question, Austin.

I think it's one of those things where it all comes down to a lot of times in the coaching business, the relationships.

And McCarthy's going to bring in a young up and coming guy.

I think it's worth, you know, making sure that he's got good recommendations from other people.

And I think

Even though Brian Schottenheimer was someone he knew for a long time, because Mike McCarthy's first job in the NFL was working for Brian's dad, Marty.