Jason Garrett isn’t coaching for his job, says Jerry Jones

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says head coach Jason Garrett isn’t coaching for his job in 2013-14, despite back-to-back 8-8 seasons.

by James Brady

May 22, 2013, 1:05 AM UTC

Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett isn't on the hot seat, at least according to team owner Jerry Jones. On Tuesday, Jones told Albert Breer of the NFL Network that Garrett is "not coaching for his job this year," according to Jeremy Ryan, also of the NFL Network.

Garrett, who is coming off back-to-back 8-8 seasons as the Cowboys’ head coach, has been all over the place when it comes to job security. Many thought he might be fired this offseason, but the Cowboys instead hired a new offensive coordinator in Bill Callahan, and presumably took the play-calling duties away from Garrett.

While not totally confirmed that Garrett won’t call the plays, it seems unlikely that he’d get that opportunity. Callahan seems the most likely candidate, but the Cowboys have stated that they won’t make a decision until after the first preseason game.

That seems a little odd -- not setting something like that in stone as early as possible -- but it is what it is. As far as Garrett's job security goes, it's hard to take Jones at his word here. Jones gave quarterback Tony Romo a huge vote of confidence with a new contract, but also made it clear that Romo needs to work harder than he ever has before.

Jones wants to win and he wants to win now. Romo likely won't see his entire contract if he doesn't lead the Cowboys to the playoffs and it's hard to imagine Garrett sticking around in such a situation, as well. The NFC East could be at a point of transition, with Robert Griffin III taking the Washington Redskins from the bottom of the division into the playoffs last year.

On top of that, the Philadelphia Eagles have a new head coach in Chip Kelly and a rookie quarterback eager to take over in Matt Barkley. The Giants haven't made many changes but they've been solid for a long time -- the NFC East just might be more competitive than it has been since Garrett arrived next season.