Jason Witten was apparently part of the plan that drove Mike McCarthy out of the Dallas Cowboys
It's no secret Jerry Jones believes Dallas Cowboys legend Jason Witten can make a good head coach in the NFL. Earlier this year, Jones went on 105.3 The Fan and emphatically said so. As such, Witten is considered a legit candidate for the Cowboys' head coaching vacancy by fans and media alike. But it turns out not […]
It's no secret Jerry Jones believes Dallas Cowboys legend Jason Witten can make a good head coach in the NFL.
Earlier this year, Jones went on 105.3 The Fan and emphatically said so. As such, Witten is considered a legit candidate for the Cowboys' head coaching vacancy by fans and media alike.
But it turns out not only is he a candidate but he apparently was part of the plan that drove Mike McCarthy away from the Cowboys.
"It's my understanding that Jerry has talked to Jason (Witten) in recent weeks and I do believe he was part of the plan Jerry initially had when he was going to bring back Mike McCarthy," insider Jane Slater revealed Tuesday on NFL Network. "I think the plan there was to make him a heir apparent of sorts. Mike McCarthy sort of surprised him when he decided he wanted to end these conversations."
Context here is important to keep in mind: Reportedly, the Cowboys' negotiations with McCarthy never got going in-depth as there was disagreement over contract length, with Dallas' probably offering a short-term deal, which is extremely rare in the NFL.
Slater's report certainly suggests Jones wanted Witten, who has no NFL coaching experience at all, to learn the ropes for a couple of years in a "heir apparent" role as the NFL insider described it.
It's easy to see why the above plan sounds far from ideal. Getting a "heir apparent" on the staff leaves room for potential friction within the staff, even more so if the head coach is on a short-term deal. Quite frankly, that sounds like a recipe for disaster.
However, Jones is clearly bullish on Witten, whom he compared to Detroit Lions head coach in November.
"He has something that you can't draw up," Jones said on live radio. "He reminds me a lot of our other tight end who is head coach up there in Detroit right now (Dan Campbell)."
The big difference Jones might be missing? Campbell had a decade's worth of NFL coaching experience before assuming a head coaching job. Witten has been coaching high school football since 2021.
Not to mention, succession plans in the NFL are a dangerous path. Just ask the New England Patriots, who made Jerod Mayo head coach upon parting ways with Bill Belichick and didn't even consider outside candidates. Mayo was fired hours after Week 18's game.
As whether or not Witten remains a possibility to join the Cowboys staff, it remains to be seen. It's becoming increasingly clear everything is on the table for Dallas.
"Now we'll see if Jason Witten will still be in play here," Slater added. "I just don't know if that would be in a head coach role, but I do believe (Jerry) thinks very strongly about Jason Witten and his future as a coach."
