Skip to main content

Stephen Jones dismisses talk of coaching change

With each loss, the questions about Jason Garrett's job status have increased. Three defeats in a row, with the latest coming to the lowly New York Jets, have led to open season on the Dallas Cowboys head coach.

Some have even wondered if a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles tonight, which would be four consecutive for Dallas, would spur a dramatic move away from Garrett, who took over the Cowboys midseason in 2010.

Cowboys COO Stephen Jones shot down any suggestion of a midseason coaching move during a conversation with NFL Network earlier this week.

"We're not into those," Jones said when asked about making a move during the season. "We've done one, but not a fan of them."

That was when the team fired Wade Phillips in 2010, giving way to Garrett. But then Jones clarified, making sure the context of the conversation was accurate.

"But that doesn't even pertain to this," Jones continued. "We think Jason's doing a great job with our team. We've hit a few bumps here, but we're very confident Jason can do a great job with the team this year."

The Cowboys famously did not give Garrett an extension this year, as he'll have to continue to prove he can stick it out into the playoffs. When asked this week if he was given any assurances about his job security, Garrett told reporters, "I'm focused on doing my job as well as I can do it."

Meanwhile, the rumors will continue, as the Jones family is close with Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley and former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said on Colin Cowherd's radio show this week that he would "absolutely" want the Cowboys job.

Those won't be the only coaches tied to Dallas before the season is over.

Jones made clear on Garrett: "He's our coach, no ifs, ands or buts, we're all-in with Jason."

As for his team's performance, Jones said getting off to a faster start is key, as is excelling in the red zone. Defensively, they've also recently hit a lull.

"We've got to be better than that," he said.

Follow Ian Rapoport on Twitter @RapSheet.