Jason Garrett didn’t sugarcoat the reality of coaching the Dallas Cowboys under Jerry Jones. During “Football Night in America” on NBC Sports, the former Cowboys quarterback and head coach opened up about the pressures current coach Mike McCarthy faces — especially with Jones’ critical involvement.
Jason Garrett Opens Up on Coaching the Dallas Cowboys
Garrett, who led the Cowboys from 2011 to 2019, knows the drill all too well.
“It’s not the ideal situation,” Garrett said when asked how difficult it is to navigate Jones’ public critiques. He explained how the media loves to stir the pot between owner and coach.
“My approach was always, you just try to stay above it. You don’t dive into the freight too much. Everybody wants authenticity from head coaches,” he added. He stressed that the primary job of the head coach is to protect the team and the organization.
Jones has a well-documented habit of being vocal about his opinions, sometimes undermining his coaching staff.
“You want everybody to be aligned,” Garrett said. “There’s enough noise in the world. Anyway. You don’t want to contribute to it. So as much as I try, what I try to do is not inflame it. Just try to pat it down and get everybody thinking about something differently.” [06:25]
For McCarthy, the challenge is clear: deal with the public scrutiny while keeping the team focused. Coaching the Cowboys is no ordinary gig, and as Garrett said, dealing with Jones’ media presence “comes with the dinner.”
Has Jerry Jones Put Mike McCarthy on the Hot Seat?
It sure is getting hot for McCarthy in Dallas, with the Cowboys owner making statements about his bad play calling. It was a year of promises for the Cowboys, who had hoped for a better return on investment after locking in big contracts for stars CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott.
However, a mediocre 3-3 record going into Week 8 has rocked their boat, and Jones isn’t happy. Jones was furious after a humiliating Week 6 loss to Dan Campbell’s Detroit Lions in which Dallas failed to score a single touchdown.
READ: Jones’ Net Worth: How the Dallas Cowboys Owner Made His Fortune
He blasted the team’s offensive play designs, sharing sentiments from Cowboys legend Troy Aikman.
“We’re designing bad plays, or we’re designing bad concepts. The facts are that there’s some of that, but there’s also some execution issues,” Jones commented.
#Cowboys Jerry Jones Calls Out Mike McCarthy, Then Takes It All Back Within 30 Seconds 😆😂🤣😂🤣😂 pic.twitter.com/Kc9RrLZail
— Law Nation Sports (@LawsNation) October 22, 2024
However, McCarthy disagreed, chuckling at the critique and defending his play-calling.
“I talk to Jerry all the time. We have time to go through self-scout, so I didn’t see the comments specifically. I don’t think we have bad concepts and bad plays. I’ll go back and check.”
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy when asked a question about Jerry Jones saying Dallas had bad plays and bad concepts:
“I talk to Jerry all the time. We’ve had time to go through the self-scout. I didn’t see the comments specifically. But I don’t think we have bad concepts and bad… pic.twitter.com/LMmbhpoFKd
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) October 23, 2024
Right or wrong aside, the numbers paint a sad picture. Prescott’s QBR sits at a below-average 48.9, and Lamb hasn’t been his usual self, with just two touchdowns this season.
With the Cowboys’ offense ranking 20th in points per game (21.0), a Super Bowl appearance may be McCarthy’s only shot at keeping his job. Jones expects results, and if McCarthy doesn’t deliver, the Cowboys may soon be looking for their 10th head coach.