If things align just right, could Jason Garrett wind up coaching the Giants next season?

It’s certainly possible.

And if Giants co-owner John Mara fires coach Pat Shurmur, he absolutely should pursue Garrett, who is in the final year of his contract. Garrett ought to be Mara’s top priority.

First, Shurmur’s situation: He is 2-8 this season, sliding on a six-game losing streak, and has a 7-19 record in a season-plus with the Giants. He has three years left on his contract after 2019. But if the rebuilding Giants don’t show progress down the stretch, he should be out.

So what is Garrett’s future in Dallas? That’s up in the air. Owner/general manager Jerry Jones wants Garrett to make a deep playoff run this season. Jones likes Garrett and would prefer to keep him. But the Cowboys are 5-4, and a lot can happen in a season’s final seven games. Should the Cowboys flop down the stretch, there’s a good chance Garrett isn’t back in 2020.

Since Garrett isn’t under contract past 2019, Jones technically wouldn’t have to fire him. He could just choose to not extend the contract. But it would essentially be a firing.

As a pending coaching free agent, Garrett could also choose to leave Dallas, though it seems unlikely he would bolt for the Giants if the Cowboys wanted him back. Dallas is a better situation right now. So if Jones wants Garrett, then Garrett surely returns in 2020.

But even in this case — and barring a Garrett contract extension before season’s end — Mara needs to take a serious run at Garrett ... and make him say no. What’s the harm in trying?

Say Shurmur gets canned and Garrett is available. Then Garrett should be Mara’s first call. He would be one of the best coaching candidates available next offseason — if not the best.

There are plenty of up-and-coming candidates the Giants could pursue to replace Shurmur. But Garrett would give the Giants a proven, offensive-minded head coach who is used to thriving in a high-pressure setting.

Look, he’s not a Super Bowl-winning coach. But he’d be a great option.

This is Garrett’s ninth full season in Dallas. He made the playoffs in three of the previous five seasons, while winning 10, 13, and 12 games. Twice he has won a playoff game to reach the divisional round. The big knock, of course, is that he hasn’t advanced past that round.

Though Garrett isn’t calling the Cowboys’ offensive plays this season, he has coordinator experience. He debuted as the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator in 2007. And he still has significant input with their offense, which is perhaps the NFL’s best this season. (Dallas is currently first in Football Outsiders’ offensive DVOA ratings.)

Plus, Garrett had a large role in the Cowboys’ fourth-year quarterback, Dak Prescott, becoming a productive player — as a fourth-round draft pick. That’s a big deal, because the Giants are trying to develop Daniel Jones. Nothing in their organization is more important.

By the way, you can forget about the Adam Gase comparisons. Yes, the Giants would be hiring a coach who just got (essentially) fired by a division rival. But Garrett’s resume is much more impressive than Gase’s was when the Jets hired him after last season.

Not that this matters a ton, but Garrett does have a Giants connection. He was a backup/third-string quarterback for them from 2000-03, before his playing career ended in 2004.

Garrett is familiar with the New York/New Jersey market, albeit not as a coach. But he is definitely familiar with coaching under pressure. He plays for an owner/GM, Jones, who is frequently and publicly candid with his analysis of the Cowboys’ performance.

Pressure in this market wouldn’t be an issue for Garrett. And it’s not like he’d have to worry about his GM or owner publicly assessing him on a regular basis, since Dave Gettleman and Mara don’t speak to reporters nearly as often as Jones.

Will Garrett to the Giants happen? Maybe not.

But if Mara has a chance to get Garrett, he can’t let it pass the Giants by.

NFL analyst Darryl Slater may be reached at dslater@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DarrylSlater.