Why Jason Witten is believed to be in line to eventually become Dallas Cowboys head coach despite Brian Schottenheimer hire
When the Dallas Cowboys parted ways with Jason Garrett in 2020, fans and media members didn't really know who would replace him. Though some names came to mind after Mike McCarthy's departure this year, little did we know Brian Schottenheimer would be the franchise's choice. And yet, though Schottenheimer hasn't even held a meeting as the […]
When the Dallas Cowboys parted ways with Jason Garrett in 2020, fans and media members didn't really know who would replace him. Though some names came to mind after Mike McCarthy's departure this year, little did we know Brian Schottenheimer would be the franchise's choice.
And yet, though Schottenheimer hasn't even held a meeting as the new head coach of the team, let alone coach a game, both fans and media already suspect who will be his eventual successor:
Cowboys legend and future Hall of Famer, Jason Witten.
But why? Schottenheimer just got the job. It's unbelievably disrespectful to him that we're already even thinking about this. But don't blame fans nor reporters for thinking it. Blame the front office for setting the stage for such speculation. Let's recap.
- Since November, Jerry Jones has told the media he believes Witten would make a fine head coach in the NFL, going as far as comparing him to Dan Campbell from the Detroit Lions.
- The Cowboys wanted Mike McCarthy back on a short-term deal, which was reportedly turned down.
- As part of the plan to keep McCarthy, the Cowboys reportedly wanted Jason Witten on the staff as a potential "heir apparent of sorts," per Jane Slater.
- Schottenheimer's staff is expected to include Witten in it, making it clear it'll be the front office's decision more than it is the head coach's.
Schottenheimer should be in the "inexpensive" range of NFL coaches, based on the fact that he received no interest from other teams. Ian Rapoport from NFL Network suggested pay factored into Jerry's decision. Pair that with how the McCarthy saga played out and it's only fair to assume the Cowboys want flexibility to move on quickly if needed.
As such, it doesn't take a lot of "reaching" to speculate on the Cowboys potentially wishing Jason Witten eventually takes the head coaching job. Right now, the biggest flaw to that idea is Witten's complete lack of NFL coaching experience. Getting him on the staff on a lesser role, probably as an assistant, would be the first step toward remedying that.
For now, it's the Schottenheimer era in Dallas. We'll see if it's a long or short stay but one way or another, Witten will likely be on the staff, for better or worse.
