The Dallas Cowboys and coach Mike McCarthy parting ways on Monday came as somewhat of a surprise given team owner and general manager Jerry Jones’ final words about McCarthy at the conclusion of the 2024 regular season.
However, one of the biggest reasons the two sides couldn’t come together on a new deal after the expiration of McCarthy’s contract may have been an unusual arrangement Jones suggested for McCarthy’s new deal to potentially stay in Dallas.
Jones had spoken with future Cowboys Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten recently, and the 11-time Pro Bowler was part of a plan Jones had for McCarthy’s second Cowboys coaching contract, NFL Media reported on Tuesday night. The reported set up was for Witten to be the “heir apparent of sorts” to McCarthy, who is 61 years old. That’s when McCarthy reportedly walked away from conversations with Jones to continue as the coach of the Cowboys.
Witten does not have any NFL or collegiate coaching experience, but he has won back-to-back state titles with Liberty Christian, a private school in Argyle, Texas, in 2023 and 2024. His first state championship victory in 2023 led to Witten being named the Whataburger Coach of the Year by the Dallas Cowboys. As a result, Liberty Christian’s football team received a grant from the Gene and Jerry Jones Foundation and Whataburger.
Reports like this one are one of the many reasons Cowboys Hall of Famer Troy Aikman disagreed that the Dallas head-coaching job is “coveted.” With Jones reportedly “going on a solo mission” to begin the Cowboys’ search of their next head coach, anything is possible when it comes to McCarthy’s eventual replacement.
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