The vast majority of Cowboys fans are ready to replace head coach Brian Schottenheimer, and most of his staff along with him. Could one of those new faces in 2027 be Jason Witten, legendary Dallas tight end and a current assistant coach for the Oklahoma Sooners? That's a more debatable topic, but Witten may now be one step closer to returning to the NFL and his longtime team.
Witten was just named the playcaller at Oklahoma after the mid-season firing of offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle.
After joining Brent Venables' staff this season as the TE coach, Witten has quickly ascended to essentially the OC role for a major college program. It continues his fast rise in the coaching world, having spent four years leading the Liberty Christian high school program in Argyle, TX, following his retirement in 2021.
Is it crazy, or even just lazy, to link this news to the Cowboys? Some might think so, but Witten's long history in Dallas, connections to the past and present, and comparisons to a currently successful coach merit consideration.
Jason Witten has deep connection with Jones family, Cowboys and NFL as a whole
Nobody has played more career games for the Dallas Cowboys than Witten. Not Roger Staubach, Randy White, or even Emmitt Smith. And nearly all those 255 games over 16 seasons came as a key figure on offense and in the locker room.
Witten was here for the full coaching runs of Bill Parcells, Wade Phillips, and Jason Garrett. He experienced the Cowboys' highest highs of the post-dynasty era, such as the 2014 and 2016 teams. He knows that the braintrust of Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, and Will McClary can build a contender, even if not as often as we'd like.
Witten saw a lot during that run. He saw how Parcells revitalized a broken franchise. He was there for the implosion under Phillips. He experienced T.O., Dez, Pacman, Tank, and others. He was there for Josh Brent's unfortunate mistake. He watched his best friend lose his job to a rookie in 2016. You name it, Witten lived it.
In addition to his Cowboys playing career, Witten got a taste of how another NFL organization operates during his one season with the Raiders in 2020. He also had his ill-fated year on Monday Night Football, which may have been a flop overall but did allow him to see a lot more of the league as he prepped for covering games.
Clearly, Witten has experience to spare. But if you're concerned that not much of it has been in actual coaching, let alone none at the NFL level, here are some Cowboys-centric comparisons to consider.
Jason Witten may remind Jerry Jones of some key past associates
If there's one coach that Jerry most regrets letting get away from the organization, it's probably Sean Payton. Arguably the best non-Belichick coach of the modern era, Payton was the Cowboys' QB coach and a key assistant under Parcells from 2003-2005, Witten's first three years in the league.
Another TE who played in Dallas during those three years was Dan Campbell, who was mostly Witten's backup during those early seasons. A noted veteran leader, Campbell immediately went into coaching in 2010 and spent 11 years in various offensive assistant roles with the Dolphins and Saints.
Interestingly, though, Campbell never served as an offensive coordinator. He was the TE coach and assistant HC for New Orleans in 2020, then was hired as the Lions' HC in 2021. Campbell bypassing the OC role was criticized at the time, but Detroit has no regrets after some of its best seasons since the 90s, including a NFC Championship Game appearance in 2023 and a 15-2 regular season in 2024.
Jerry Jones has praised Campbell's rise and success as a HC, even calling him a "hero" for his journey through the coaching ranks. Could Jerry want to be part of Witten's story now?
Personal ties have helped coaches get jobs in Dallas before
You needn't look further than Jimmy Johnson for an example of how pesonal relationship outweighed a lack of NFL experience. While Johnson had over 20 years of college coaching under his belt by 1989, including 10 seasons as a head coach, the Cowboys HC job was his first gig in the pros. That came from his longtime friendship with Jerry, going back to their college days at Arkansas.
But perhaps the most relevant example to Witten's situation is what brought Jason Garrett to the Cowboys. Garrett was the son of longtime Dallas scout, Jim Garrett, who was one of the few holdovers from the Tom Landry era into Jones' ownership. Jason played for the Cowboys from 1992-1999 as a backup QB, part of all three Super Bowl teams and having some heroic moments of his own.
When Garrett retired as a player in 2005, he immediately became the QB coach for the Dolphins. Two years later, Jerry brought him home to be the OC under Wade Phillips. And in the middle of 2010, Garrett became the HC and held that job for a decade.
A key player during Garrett's entire run in Dallas was, you guessed it, Jason Witten. Along with his critical offensive role, it was no secret that Witten, Garrett, and Tony Romo had a strong bond away from the field. Garrett was Witten's HC for the bulk of his playing career, and they helped give the Cowboys some of their best seasons since the 90s.
Yes, Jason Witten is low on coaching experience. There's no getting around that fact. But there are so many other things that make him an attractive option to Jerry Jones that you can't dismiss his candidacy.
Maybe he doesn't jump right into the HC job. Like Garrett, perhaps he gets some time as the OC but with a clear track to the eventual top job. And hopefully, the front office would navigate that better than they did with Garrett and Wade Phillips.
But as with Dan Campbell, time in the OC chair may not matter so much. If you want Witten for his voice and presence, to command men and create a new enviroment, then burying him under some other HC may not make sense. Campbell's best traits as head coach came from his playing experience and things you can't teach, much like why you'd want Witten to take the job in Dallas.
We'll see what happens. It feels pretty certain that the Cowboys will have a new head coach in 2027. How much Jason Witten will be considered for the job is anyone's guess.
But you can bet that his name will come up.
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