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Jason Garrett’s inexperience likely wasted Tony Romo’s prime

By Steven Mullenax

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Following the 2009 season, in which the Dallas Cowboys ended the year with an 11-5 record and posted their first playoff victory since 1996, the 2010 season seemed full of promise. But the Cowboys started that year 1-7, losing quarterback Tony Romo to a broken clavicle in a Week Seven in a Monday Night matchup against the New York Giants.

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Soon after, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones decided to make a change at the head coaching position. Out was Wade Phillips and then-offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was promoted in the interim. Without Romo under center, Garrett won five of the team’s final eight games that season, earning him the permanent head coaching job the following year. The former back-up quarterback was given the reins of America’s Team despite the fact he had never held a single head coaching position, on any level, throughout his short career.

Five years later, Jones hinted during an interviewed that aired last Sunday that he might have went another way if he had to do it all over again when it came to hiring a head coach. And that Garrett’s on-the-job training likely wasted the best years of starting quarterback Tony Romo.

"“I very much am,” Jones responded when asked if he believed Garrett could take the Cowboys to their next Super Bowl during an interview on CBS Sunday. “Princeton graduate. Smart as a whip. No, he didn’t come in here probably ready to win a Super Bowl. Now, I look back on it. You had Romo in his prime. Maybe I should have made a different decision. But for all of the foibles, if there are. But certainly mistakes, which there are many. He’s evolved. First hand, I know the challenges. I know how he’s addressed challenges. I know how he’s basically made decisions on his feet. Yeah, I like Jason Garrett as our coach.”"

Although Jones didn’t out and out say it, it’s obvious from his above remarks that there is a certain amount of regret he carries about wasting his quarterback’s prime years under an inexperienced coach. And Garrett certainly had his problems to overcome as a first time head coach. Those issues mainly surrounded poor game management skills and his preference to be the team’s primary offensive playcaller.

Following his promotion to head coach in 2011, Garrett proceeded to led the Cowboys to three mediocre 8-8 seasons in a row, all without a playoff appearance. Speculated to be on the coaching hot seat in 2014, the 49-year old finally found success in Dallas, leading the Cowboys to a 12-4 record and obtaining their first playoff victory since 2009. His first winning season likely saved Garrett his job and earned him a nice five-year, $30 million contract extension in January.

But based on what Jones had to say, he might have gone another way if he’d known the road ahead would be so bumpy due to Garrett’s coaching inexperience.

Ironically, the interviewer for CBS Sports was former Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Cowher, who has had his name mentioned in the past as a possible candidate for Garrett’s job.

You can see the Jerry Jones, CBS Sunday interview below.

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