The Dallas Cowboys and Coach Mike McCarthy we are separating on Monday was somewhat of a surprise given that team owner and general manager Jerry Jones final words on McCarthy at the end of the 2024 regular season.
However, one of the main reasons the two sides could not agree on a new deal after McCarthy’s contract expired may have been an unusual arrangement suggested by Jones for McCarthy’s new deal to remain potentially in Dallas.
Jones had recently spoken with future Cowboys Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten, and the 11-time Pro Bowler was part of a plan Jones had for McCarthy’s second Cowboys coaching contract, NFL reported Media Tuesday evening. The reported setup was that Witten would be the 61-year-old McCarthy’s “heir apparent.” That’s when McCarthy reportedly abandoned conversations with Jones to continue as Cowboys coach.
Witten has no experience in the NFL or as a college coach, but he won back-to-back state titles with Liberty Christian, a private school in Argyle, Texas, in 2023 and 2024. His first victory in state championship in 2023 led to Witten being named Whataburger Coach of the Year by the Dallas Cowboys. As a result, the Liberty Christian football team received a grant from the Gene and Jerry Jones Foundation and Whataburger.
Reports like this are one of the many reasons why Cowboys Hall of Famer Troy Aikman He disagrees that Dallas’ head coaching job is “coveted.” While Jones has reportedly “gone on a solo mission” to begin the Cowboys’ search for their next head coach, anything is possible when it comes to McCarthy’s eventual replacement.