Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones extinguished Tuesday what little drama was left surrounding coach Jason Garrett's future. Garrett definitely will be back as head coach. His staff remains up in the air.
Speaking on KRLD-FM in Dallas, Jones said that he never considered replacing Garrett. He noted Garrett's win-loss record (24-24 over the past three seasons) was superior to those of the head coaches who were fired Monday, including former Washington Redskins coach Mike Shanahan.
"I think what's important here is that I haven't given it any consideration," Jones said. "I like what he's doing as coach, so I haven't given it any consideration."
Jones would not comment on the status of offensive coordinator Bill Callahan and defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, saying there was "no hurry" to make final decisions on them.
"Well, I'm pleased that we have them," Jones said. "Now, we had a rough year, but we didn't necessarily have a rough year because of coaching in terms of our defense."
Jones added that he doesn't expect the amount of coaching changes that took place last year. But Kiffin's status remains very much in doubt. Team sources have told NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport that it's unlikely Kiffin will return in 2014. The Cowboys are mulling a retirement package for the 73-year-old.
Jones also defended his performance as general manager, believing that his team did a nice job managing the salary cap. He also credited a lot of the "close losses" as a reason to believe the team will improve in the future. Jones believes Garrett is a vastly improved coach compared to when he arrived in Dallas.
In short, the Cowboys are betting on continuity. You could call it exhibiting rare patience or settling for mediocrity. If the Cowboys are a religion, Jones is the lead pastor. He hasn't lost any faith despite three years of results that suggest the organization is stuck in neutral.
The latest "Around The League Podcast" recapped all of the Week 17 action.
