Jason Garrett can’t feel secure about his future until he signs a new contract. The Saints might not be able to, either.
Even though Garrett just led Dallas to its third division title since 2014, the Cowboys head coach — since 2010 — enters next season on the final year of his current deal with the team and has yet to receive a public endorsement from ownership that he remains part of the franchise’s plans.
“I don’t want to get into discussing that right now,” Stephen Jones told reporters at the Senior Bowl. “That’s a Jerry question.”
Jerry?
“I wouldn’t discuss anything about any contracts that we had,” Jerry Jones said.
Last week, Jerry made a vague comment about potentially seeking other options in the offseason, when asked if he would commit to bringing back Garrett.
“Why would I put some kind of statement out that says this is what we’re going to do when we might have an opportunity here next week?” Jones told 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “This is the time when these things are thought about. This is the time when they are chewed on. This is when you may see an opportunity next week that you didn’t know existed this week in the area of personnel or in the area of coaching. And I’m not trying to be cute here. I’m just saying that one of the advantages that we have is that we can operate with that kind of flexibility.”
Speculation already has started that Jones was alluding to former Cowboys assistant head coach Sean Payton, whose Saints have since been controversially eliminated from the playoffs. The Cowboys owner’s affection for Payton is well-known, and Jones’ near-25 year stretch without reaching the Super Bowl may finally push him to try to acquire the New Orleans coach, who still has two years remaining on his contract. Under Garrett, the Cowboys have three playoff appearances in nine years and have never advanced past the divisional playoff round.
Scout Bryan Broaddus, who previously worked alongside Payton, recently said the Saints coach remains intrigued by the idea of leading the iconic franchise.
“He understands what the [Cowboys] organization means in the grand scheme of things. Sean told me one time, ‘You coach [the Cowboys], they know your name in China. Here, I coach the Saints and they know my name in Tampa, Florida, and in Atlanta, Georgia,’” Broaddus said on The Fan. “But this is really the world’s biggest stage. And that’s the thing, you always want that big opportunity. He’s adamant about the support the Joneses give. [Jerry] would pour his last dime into trying to make this football team good if he could.
“I think there’s a mutual respect between Jerry, Stephen Jones and Sean Payton and where they’re trying to get. If that opportunity becomes available, I think Jerry will do everything he can to make sure he has the right opportunity for the right guy. If Sean Payton does become available, I think it will be under consideration by the Jones family.”
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