“Jerry Jones has always hired a puppet”: Former Heisman winner Cam Newton delivers verdict on Cowboys not hiring Coach Prime

Former Heisman winner Cam Newton offered his view on Jerry Jones' decision to promote Brian Schottenheimer as the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Schottenheimer, who served as the Cowboys offensive coordinator in the last two seasons under Mike McCarthy, was a surprise candidate for the job.

Speaking on his “4&1 with Cam Newton” podcast, Newton opined that the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer followed Jones’ trend of hiring coaches he could control. Jones was said to have considered Deion Sanders before deciding to hire Schottenheimer.

“This comes to no surprise,” Newton said (timestamp 0:30). “Jerry Jones hiring coach Schottenheimer is part of his DNA, because Jerry Jones has always hired puppets that he can control, that he can manipulate, that reports to Jerry Jones. And it makes complete sense.

“It's Jerry Jones saying ‘It's my way or the highway.’ Did they talk to Prime, of course they did. But Prime probably told him ‘Hey, listen dawg, I need both my sons’... How are you gonna put that alpha dawg with that alpha dawg in the same kennel?”

There was a lot of talk about Sanders leaving Colorado for the Cowboys late last year. However, the coach decided to continue in Boulder following a noteworthy season for the program in 2024.

Cam Newton believes Jerry Jones' latest move won't work

Despite Jerry Jones’ confidence in his new head coach, Cam Newton doesn't see it bringing the right result.

“It's not going to work,” Newton said (timestamp 1:42). "It comes to me as no surprise that you need a puppet. I don't want to say it disrespectfully because I've never met coach Schottenheimer but people know what I mean or this is what I mean when I say that.

“Jerry Jones controls everything in Dallas. When Jimmy Johnson was the coach, that was the coach that had the bravado, that was the coach that had swagger, that was the coach that had the nuance of saying; ‘This is what we are going to do.’ That's the last time they come on."

The Dallas Cowboys are still waiting to win their first Super Bowl title in three decades. The franchise last won the championship in 1995 and has been a shadow of itself ever since.