Jason Witten was deemed Mike McCarthy’s “heir apparent” by Jerry Jones

Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is a name that has been discussed as a possible replacement for former head coach Mike McCarthy, who left the organization after his contract expired on Tuesday.

NFL Network insider Jane Slater has released an intriguing report in which she details a plan that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones concocted before McCarthy left, before it became clear that the coach- boss wouldn’t come back.

Slater made it clear that she did not know if this plan was still in the works, or if it was even being pursued, but that Witten and Jones had been communicating in recent weeks.

“It’s my understanding that Jerry Jones has been talking to Jason (Witten) in recent weeks and I believe he was part of a plan that Jerry had originally planned when he was going to bring back Mike McCarthy. I think Jerry was going to do (Jason) sort of heir apparent,” Slater reported Tuesday.

Slater said McCarthy’s unexpected decision to end negotiations may have derailed Jones’ plan.

Witten, who played 16 seasons in Dallas, doesn’t have much experience as a head coach, although he currently serves at Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas. He, alongside a slew of other candidates ranging from Deion Sanders to Jon Gruden, have been floated as possible replacements for McCarthy.

“Now we’ll see if Jason Witten will still be in play here. I just don’t know if it would be in a head coaching role, but I believe (Jerry Jones) thinks very highly of Jason Witten in his role as a head coach. “Future head coach as a coach, I just don’t know what that would look like,” Slater added.