Shortly after the Cowboy’s loss at Green Bay in the divisional round of the playoffs on Sunday, ProFootballTalk.com reported that Dallas’ defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli is expected to leave the team and come to Tampa for the same position. Given Marinell’s relationship with Lovie Smith and his current contract expiring, there is warranted speculation for a possible lateral move. But under the NFL’s tampering policy, such talk is premature.

Although Marinelli is in the final year of his contract in Dallas, league policy prevents other teams from talking to him until seven days following his last game. Any breach of the rule counts as tampering. So while the Buccaneers and Marinelli may share mutual interest, the two sides will not have any conversation until at least next Sunday, unless the Cowboys give Marinelli permission to talk to Tampa Bay.

That said, there is reason to believe Marinelli may return to Tampa Bay. When Lovie Smith was hired as head coach in 2014, rumors sparked that Marinelli would join as defensive coordinator even though he was still under contract in Dallas. Now, it’s likely that the former Bucs defensive line coach will be a free agent by Januray 18th.

Marinelli and Smith first coached together in Tampa from 1996 to 2000 under Tony Dungy. After the latter accepted the Rams’ defensive coordinator job in 2001, Marinelli stayed in Tampa under Jon Gruden where he served as the defensive line coach, as well as assistant head coach from 2002-2005. And after a brief three year stint (2006-08) as head coach in Detroit, Marinelli reunited with Smith in Chicago, where again he was the defensive line/assistant head coach from 2009 to 2012.

Smith has referred to his relationship with Marinelli as “like a brother”. And Marinelli, who wasn’t fired by Chicago, left in 2012 because it didn’t feel right without Smith.

“There’s no doubt [it was hard to leave],” Marinelli said in February 2013. “But my No. 1 relationship is with Lovie Smith. Yeah, he’s probably one of my best friends in life, and I believe in him and I went there because of him and it’s not the right place for me without him.”

It will be interesting to see what happens next week, and the possibility of the Buccaneers having two new coordinators in 2015. But one thing is for sure, nothing will happen until next week, unless the Cowboys give the Buccaneers permission for Marinelli to speak to other teams, including Tampa Bay.