NFL: Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants
Danny Wild / USA TODAY Sports

What if I told you in 2016 that Jason Garrett would work for the New York Giants? You wouldn't have believed me, and likely would've tried to have me committed to a mental health facility. What if I doubled down on what could only be viewed as insanity and then said Ben McAdoo would be employed by the Dallas Cowboys? Well, that's exactly where we are five years after the two former head coaches first squared off in the NFC East, with Garrett having signed on as the Giants offensive coordinator in 2020 and McAdoo now joining the Cowboys, a source confirms to CBS Sports -- in a lesser role of consultant. 

It's familiarity with current Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy that helped land McAdoo a role in North Texas, the latter having operated as quarterbacks coach under McCarthy in their time together with the Green Bay Packers. He'd take on that same role with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020 after being fired by the Giants following the 2017 season, but his stretch in North Florida didn't last long as owner Shad Kahn ushered in the Urban Meyer era.

It's not expected McAdoo will somehow overtake incumbent quarterbacks coach Doug Nussmeier, who was promoted to the role in 2020 after initially joining the Cowboys as the team's tight ends coach in 2018. Nussmeier has already worked quite a bit with quarterback Dak Prescott and with the two-time Pro Bowler now healthy and working himself back to game form, the last thing Dallas wants to do is rock the boat beneath him within the coaching staff. So while the specifics of what McAdoo will be tasked with are currently a gray area, Nussmeier's aren't. 

Also having a background in coordinating offenses -- albeit at the collegiate level -- McCarthy is likely adding McAdoo to have an extra set of eyes on things that could possibly use improvement on that side of the ball. With the continued prowess of current offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, there's also no plans to push him to the side to make room for McAdoo, especially considering the level of investment owner Jerry Jones has in the development and retention of Moore -- having convinced him recently to forego a shot at coaching his alma mater in Boise State to instead sign a contract extension in Dallas.

In the end, McAdoo will be asked to do exactly what his title implies: consult. Anything more than that would require a shifting of roles at a time when the Cowboys (and their franchise QB) can: 

1. Least afford it, and ...

2. Don't need it.

Lastly, as the Cowboys likely view it, any inside intel he can funnel McCarthy's way about the Giants is a plus.