NFL insider says Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had a unique plan for Tennessee Vols legend Jason Witten that got ruined
Earlier this week, former Tennessee Vols tight end Jason Witten was mentioned as a potential option to replace Mike McCarthy as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Dallas parted ways with McCarthy after the team finished 7-10 in 2024 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Witten, who spent 16 of […]
Earlier this week, former Tennessee Vols tight end Jason Witten was mentioned as a potential option to replace Mike McCarthy as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.
Dallas parted ways with McCarthy after the team finished 7-10 in 2024 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Witten, who spent 16 of his 17 NFL seasons with the Cowboys, is currently the head coach at Liberty Christian (TX).
On Tuesday evening, NFL Network's Jane Slater not only confirmed that the Cowboys' interest in Witten is real, she also noted that she believes Dallas owner Jerry Jones wanted the former Vol to be the heir apparent to McCarthy.
"It's been my understanding that Jerry Jones has talked to Jason in recent weeks and I do believe that he was part of a plan that Jerry initially had when he was going to bring back Mike McCarthy," said Slater. "I think Jerry was going to make [Witten] an heir apparent of sorts."
According to Slater, McCarthy "surprised" Jones by exiting the negotiations to remain in Dallas as the head coach. It's unclear if the Witten scenario had anything to do with McCarthy's decision to end the negotiations.
Witten could still be in play for a role in Dallas, but maybe not as the head coach.
"We'll see if Jason Witten will still be in play here," added Slater. "I just don't know if that would be in a head coach role, but I do believe that [Jerry Jones] thinks very strongly about Jason Witten and his future as a coach. I just don't know in what capacity that would look like."
If Witten had landed in Dallas as the heir to McCarthy, it would've been very similar to the situation that former Vols linebacker Jerod Mayo just experienced with the New England Patriots. That didn't end well for Mayo in New England and it likely wouldn't have ended well for Witten in Dallas.
I can certainly understand Witten's desire to get into coaching in the NFL, but he would be better served to work his way up the ladder — preferably outside of Dallas — instead of taking a shortcut to a head coaching role.
How Deion Sanders leaving Colorado for the Dallas Cowboys would create a fascinating scenario for the Tennessee Vols
Could mean a big decision for the Vols
