Cowboys Won’t Fire Jason Garrett During Season
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and EVP Stephen Jones plan to allow Jason Garrett to finish the season as the team’s head coach, no matter what happens from here on out, a high-ranking source familiar with their thinking tells ESPN.com’s Ed Werder (on Twitter). This jibes with comments made by the elder Jones earlier this week regarding Garrett’s job security between now and Week 17. 
Beyond that, there’s little guaranteed for Garrett. The Cowboys have yet to reach the promised land on the coach’s watch and Jones isn’t the patient type.
“Disappointed is not the word,” Jones said after the team’s 13-9 loss to the Patriots. “There’s no question that we were given an opportunity, there were things we could have taken advantage of.”
The Cowboys entered Thursday’s game against the Bills with a 6-5 record, good for first in the NFC East, and a 64% chance to edge out the Eagles for the divisional crown. If they make the playoffs, they’ll vie for their first Super Bowl win since the 1995 season.
Jason Garrett Must Win Super Bowl To Keep Job
Sources close to the Cowboys say head coach Jason Garrett must win the Super Bowl this season to retain his job, according to Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report. Freeman notes that Garrett has survived the hot seat many times before, but claims in this instance, “the rumors feel different.”
Just this morning, Dallas owner Jerry Jones intimated the same sentiment to Good Morning Football, but 
given Jones’ maverick history, reading into any one quote can be misleading. However, Freeman’s report confirms Garrett faces an ultimatum to reach a level he has never reached in his tenure as head coach.
Garrett holds a 83-64 overall record in his ten years as head coach in Dallas, but his 2-3 playoff record, which includes zero Super Bowl appearances remains the largest indictment on his record. His more recent refusal to integrate statistical analysis into his decision making has garnered large outside criticism, especially after he decided to kick a field goal during the Cowboys 13-9 loss to the Patriots on Sunday.
Freeman reports that executives around the league believe Jones has begun to focus on two candidates to eventually replace Garrett: former Utah, Florida, and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Both candidates come with certain levels of risk. Meyer has never coached at the professional level and left Ohio State amidst off-field controversy. McDaniels’ was last the Broncos head coach, but was fired after a generally unsuccessful tenure. Of course, Garrett does appear to have a path to retaining his position: reaching the league’s pinnacle.
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones On Jason Garrett’s Job Security
For most of the season, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has stood behind head coach Jason Garrett. That’s not necessarily the case today, however, following a 13-9 loss to the Patriots.
[RELATED: Giants Eyeing Jason Garrett As HC?]
On Tuesday morning, Jones told 105.3 The Fan that he is beyond “disappointed” with the club at this moment. Furthermore, he indicated that Garrett’s job is on the line, though he said that there would not be an in-season change.
“Disappointed is not the word. There’s no question that we were given an opportunity, there were things we could have taken advantage of,” Jones said.
Jones lit up Garrett after Sunday’s game and doesn’t seem to have cooled down much in the last 48 hours. Meanwhile, Garrett has five games left to restore the confidence of his boss.
With a 6-5 record, the Cowboys are atop the NFC East, with an edge over the second place Eagles (5-6). According to FiveThirtyEight, the Cowboys have a 65% shot of reaching the playoffs.
Garrett and the Cowboys will finish out the regular season against the Bills, Bears, Rams, Eagles, and Redskins.
Jerry Jones Critical Of Cowboys’ Coaching Staff
NOV. 25: The Cowboys will not fire Garrett or make any immediate changes to his staff, per Werder (via Twitter). Werder reminds us that OL coach Paul Alexander was fired during the team’s bye week in 2018, so there is precedent there, but Garrett, O’Quinn, et al. are safe for now (Twitter link).
NOV. 24: Earlier on Sunday, a report emerged suggesting current Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett could be the next head coach of the rival Giants. New York has struggled under Pat Shurmur and there appeared to be mutual interest between Garrett and the Giants. One thing that remains unclear is whether Garrett will be available. While he has been on the hot seat for much of the season, it would not be the first time public perceptions of Garrett’s job status were incorrect.
At least publicly, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has remained supportive and confident in Garrett — until now. After Dallas’ 13-9 loss to the Patriots, Jones was very critical of his coaching staff, according to Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan. The most critical commentary focused on the special teams unit, which had a number of crucial mishaps against New England. That does fall under Garrett’s supervision, but likely has larger ramifications for special teams ccoordinator Keith O’Quinn.
With that said, some of Jones’ criticism seemed like a more direct indictment of Garrett as well. “When we run up against an opponent that gets it together, we have a tough time coordinating how we put our offense and defense out there and have them playing [well] at the same time,” Jones said. The owner went as far to say that they had been “outcoached” and lacked “coaching fundamentals.”
Fisher had speculated earlier in the day that the rumors connecting Garrett to the Giants could have been an attempt from Garrett’s side to pressure Jones into an extension. However, Fisher opined for Sports Illustrated that could backfire and cause the owner to lose patience with Garrett even quicker than he would otherwise. The shift in Jones’ public discussion lends credence to that argument.
Indeed, Ed Werder of ESPN.com calls Jones’ comments with respect to Garrett his most damning review of Garrett’s work (Twitter link). Werder also speculates (via Twitter) that the Cowboys may have to win all of their remaining regular season games and at least two playoff games for Jones to retain Garrett.
Giants Eyeing Jason Garrett As HC?
The Giants are not planning to fire head coach Pat Shurmur before the end of the 2019 season, but all options remain on the table after the season is over. And while the club may be inclined to keep Shurmur if for no other reason than to maintain continuity for young QB Daniel Jones, that could change should Cowboys HC Jason Garrett become available.
Garrett has been on the hot seat several times during his Cowboys tenure, but he has still managed to hold onto his post since he was given the permanent HC title in 2011. However, his contract is up at the end of the 2019 campaign, and owner Jerry Jones has not offered a ringing endorsement of his sideline general this year. Jones is said to be fond of Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley, and even if he can’t get Riley, he may finally decide to move on from Garrett if the Cowboys do not make a deep postseason run.
And if the Cowboys do part ways with Garrett, the Giants could be there to pounce. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network (video link) says Big Blue has emerged as a legitimate landing spot for Garrett, and the Giants would be Garrett’s top choice if he can’t stick with Dallas. Rapoport reminds us that, in 2014, when New York was deciding whether or not to move on from then-HC Tom Coughlin, the club would have fired Coughlin if it could have gotten Garrett. But Garrett signed an extension with the Cowboys, so the Giants held on to Coughlin.
For all his faults, Garrett has compiled an 85-66 mark as a head coach, including a 2-3 postseason record. Shurmur, meanwhile, is 17-42 as an HC.
East Notes: Bell, Schwartz, Garrett,
Jets running back Le’Veon Bell was part of one of the team’s most active offseason is in recent history. However, Bell may be putting on a new uniform as soon as next season, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN. Bell is in the midst of the worst statistical season of his career. Cimini details the various hurdles that will limit New York’s flexibility in finding a new option.
Bell’s guarantees will make it unpalatable for the Jets to simply release Bell and so Cimini suggests a trade following the Jadeveon Clowney model that allows the Jets to incur a smaller cap hit, while recouping some compensation for the 27-year old running back.
Here’s some more from around the NFC East:
- Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz may have the most power of any coordinator in the league, according to Jeff McLane of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Schwartz has led one of the strongest defensive units in football over his tenure, but has insisted on maintaining a low profile. But, given the strength of the team’s success, the former Lions head coach may be in line for another opportunity at the helm of a franchise this offseason.
- Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett held a meeting with the team’s players on Thursday where he took responsibility for some of the team’s recent shortcomings, according to Jane Slater of the NFL Network. Garrett has been on the hot seat for much of the season, although owner Jerry Jones has publicly remained confident in him, but has Dallas in the driver’s seat in the NFC East. According to Slater, the meeting was received well by the players and may be at least partially responsible for the team’s strong performance in their 35-27 victory in Detroit against the Lions.
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones On Jason Garrett
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has repeatedly backed Jason Garrett amidst rumblings about the head coach’s job security, but no one seems to believe him. This week, Jones discussed Garrett – and Urban Meyer‘s recent comments – in interviews with Clarence E. Hill of the Star-Telegram and 105.3 The Fan. Here’s a look at the highlights:
On Garrett’s future with the team:
“I am looking for reasons. I’m looking for reasons to keep him. It’s merited here. It’s hard to get an effective coach and get it locked in with all you have to retool and redo. I’m comfortable. We have established some security apart from the won-loss. He represents the organization well on and off the field. You don’t have to wake up in the morning reading about it.”
On Garrett’s relationship with players:
“[The] head coach, right there beside him the offensive coordinator.. they’re going to get a lot of shots from time to time because we all know it doesn’t go right at all [all the time], so get ready. But ,I’ve seen him, and I’ve seen him handle it. I’ve not seen a concern, and I’ve experienced it to where key players have an issue with the coach. I haven’t seen that with Garrett.”
On Meyer saying that he would “absolutely” accept the Cowboys job, if offered:
“For Urban Meyer to say that is a compliment,” (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News). “Period. I really know that. The job is a great job. Now, that’s not implying that I made it that way or I don’t make it that way. It’s just the place to be.”
Extra Points: Garrett, Rosen, Mariota
The Cowboys got off to a red-hot start this season, and many were talking about them as Super Bowl contenders. Then the schedule toughened up, and Dallas has now lost three straight games. We heard earlier this morning that the Cowboys could make a coaching change after this season, and things certainly didn’t get better for Jason Garrett when he lost to the Jets Sunday. Speaking after his team’s loss to New York, owner Jerry Jones didn’t exactly offer a ringing endorsement. Asked about Garrett’s future with the team, Jones said “I’m not even coming close to those future type considerations,” via Jon Machota of The Athletic (Twitter link).
“I haven’t even glanced there in my mind about long-term future. I’m looking in the future as next week against those Eagles,” he continued. That’s obviously not a sign that Jones is very confident in Garrett, and things will get even worse if the Cowboys lose a pivotal divisional game to Philly next Sunday night. Garrett is in the final year of his contract as a lame-duck coach, and after the first few games it appeared he was well on his way to earning an extension. Things change fast in the NFL though, and Jones thinks his team is championship caliber and isn’t going to settle for anything less. For what it’s worth a Cowboys source said “absolutely not” when asked if Garret’s job was in immediate jeopardy, per Ed Werder of ESPN.com (Twitter link). That being said, Garrett’s seat is definitely starting to heat up.
Here’s more from around the league:
- The Dolphins benched Josh Rosen during their close loss to the Redskins today, and Ryan Fitzpatrick provided a spark off the bench. Fitzpatrick led two late touchdown drives and had Miami within a two-point conversion of their first win of the season, but he won’t be holding the job moving forward. Speaking after the game head coach Brian Flores confirmed Rosen would remain the team’s starter next week against the Bills, according to Cameron Wolfe of ESPN.com. Flores had said recently Rosen would be the team’s starter for the rest of the year barring injury, so this isn’t surprising. Still, Fitzpatrick undeniably played much better Sunday. Obviously winning isn’t the top priority for Miami right now so it sounds like they’ll continue to take a long look at the UCLA product, although it won’t be shocking if he gets pulled again soon.
- Speaking of quarterbacks getting benched, the Titans yanked Marcus Mariota from their loss to the Broncos, replacing him with Ryan Tannehill. After the game head coach Mike Vrabel was tight-lipped about his plans moving forward, and didn’t say who would start next week. Tannehill also told the media he didn’t know if he’d be under center in Week 7 against the Chargers, so stay tuned as we should have an update in the next day or two. Mariota had thrown for just 63 yards on 18 attempts with two interceptions before getting pulled. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal so even if he retains the starting job moving forward, it’s highly possible we witnessed the beginning of the end of the Mariota era in Tennessee today.
- In case you missed it, the Redskins are reportedly going to make a push to trade for Steelers coach Mike Tomlin.
Cowboys Could Consider Coaching Change In 2020
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has insisted that head coach Jason Garrett is not in danger of losing his job this year, but as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports writes, Garrett’s future in Dallas beyond 2019 is still very much in doubt.
Of course, that isn’t a huge surprise given that Garrett’s contract expires at the end of the current campaign. Jones was perfectly content to let Garrett coach through a lame-duck season and revisit the situation next year, and he is fully expecting a strong playoff run.
Jones apparently views the Cowboys, who have lost two straight after running off three consecutive wins to start the season, as a legitimate championship contender. As such, Garrett may have to win at least one playoff game to land a new contract with the Cowboys.
Garrett has been on the hot seat several times during his Cowboys tenure, but he has still managed to hold onto his post since he was given the permanent HC title in 2011. And, now that Sean Payton has signed an extension with the Saints, one of the biggest threats to his job is off the market.
However, Jones is intrigued by Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley, who has seen his name come up in plenty of NFL coaching rumors before. Riley, though, is reportedly willing to seriously consider opportunities in the professional ranks in 2020, and obviously the Dallas gig is one of the most high-profile jobs around.
Jerry Jones: Jason Garrett’s Job Is Safe
The Cowboys are 3-2 after dropping their last two contests, but Jason Garrett isn’t on the hot seat, owner Jerry Jones says (Twitter link via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News).
“He’s done a great job with this team. As you saw yesterday, he had this team playing hard when on a lot of teams that game could’ve gotten real ugly when it was (31-3),” Jones pointed out this week, in addition to saying that Garrett is “absolutely not” in jeopardy of losing his job.
Garrett’s job security has frequently been the subject of speculation since he took over as the Cowboys’ head coach during the 2010 season. To date, he has an 80-59 record in Dallas, but has yet to get the Cowboys past the divisional round. Last year, the Cowboys were sent packing by the Rams, who went on to play the Patriots in a remarkably boring Super Bowl.
At 3-2, the Cowboys are knotted up with the Eagles for the NFC East’s leading record. On Oct. 2o (two NFL weeks from now), they’ll have an opportunity to gain some ground.