Cowboys legend Michael Irvin weighs in on Sean Payton discussion

Everyone knows the Dallas Cowboys legend and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin has many opinions. He isn’t afraid to voice them either. Since the Cowboys’ disastrous loss to the 49ers in the first round of the playoffs, Irvin has been vocal about his frustration and disappointment with his former team.

Analysts and fans all over the world have pointed fingers at guys like Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and more. But perhaps the person with the hottest seat is head coach Mike McCarthy. With a pretty impressive roster, McCarthy was unable to lead this team past the first round of the playoffs. The Cowboys did end the year 12-5, but most of those wins were against soft opponents. And they also almost lost some of those games.

When it mattered most, McCarthy couldn’t get it done. He led the most penalized team in the league, which shows a lack of discipline as well. The problem is, there really isn’t anyone else better out there to replace him with. That was until New Orleans Saints now-former head coach Sean Payton revealed he’d be leaving the team on Tuesday.

Although Payton says he wants to step away, he didn’t deny an eventual return to coaching. Local Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan asked Irvin what he thought about Payton coming to Dallas. Irvin said he thinks owner Jerry Jones is trying to make the change happen and that it doesn’t matter whether these rumors are fair or not to McCarthy. Irvin also said Payton is a clear upgrade.

Hall of Famer Michael Irvin discusses whether he thinks Sean Payton should replace Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy

The three-time Super Bowl champ makes a good point. Why should people be worried about whether this chatter is fair to McCarthy or not? If he did his job well, there wouldn’t be chatter at all.

Irvin went on to say that the difference between Payton and McCarthy is Payton’s ability to win without his key players. Here’s the full quote:

"“Here’s the difference that you have to understand that I think puts Sean Payton above it all. Look at the success that Sean Payton had without his best players, without Michael Thomas, without Drew Brees, he still keeps them competitive. They beat the champs twice this year without his best players! That’s what we’re talking about! Without our best players, we lost every darn game! That’s just the reality. We lost every darn game. I had a stuffed animal on the show as an emotional support doll! Are you joking? That’s what Im talking about! … Sean Payton is an upgrade. I’m just going to be real.”"

It’s hard to deny that Payton would be an upgrade. The problem is whether or not he chooses to truly retire or return to football. If he does, you know Jones is going to pursue him with full force.

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