Cowboys legend makes feelings clear on being linked with HC job prior to Brian Schottenheimer's hire

When the New Orleans Saints announced Kellen Moore as their new coach following Super Bowl 59, that hire marked the final one in this coaching cycle. A total of the New England Patriots, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders and, of course, the Saints had to hire a new coach this year.

Perhaps the most publicized coaching search belonged to the Dallas Cowboys. A week after Black Monday, they parted ways with Mike McCarthy, and billionaire franchise owner Jerry Jones immediately reached out to Deion Sanders to test the waters. When that offer was rebuffed, another Cowboys legend was linked with the job - Jason Witten.

While nothing came of that speculation, Witten addressed those rumors this week. When asked to comment on his name being linked with the Cowboys coaching job before they went with Brian Schottenheimer, Witten said:

“I did not talk to Jerry about it. I think they went through a total process and got to a process where they felt Brian was the guy. I never worked with Brian but I’ll always pull for the Cowboys."

Witten added that coaching in the NFL is still part of his long-term goals, and he would be open to it "when the right opportunity comes."

Witten is currently coaching at Liberty Christian in Argyle, Texas. He led the school to back-to-back state championships in 2023 and 2024.

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Where Dallas Cowboys stand after hiring Brian Schottenheimer

There appears to be a fair bit of optimism in the building after Schottenheimer was officially promoted from offensive coordinator to the 10th full-time head coach in franchise history.

There were some concerns among fans given the fact that Schottenheimer did not call plays when Mike McCarthy was coach. However, in multiple comments since being announced, Schottenheimer has committed to establishing a run game first and foremost, something the Cowboys desperately missed last season.

Notably, the Cowboys had the opportunity to reach out to Derrick Henry last summer while he was training in Dallas. The franchise failed to do so and ultimately saw him land with the Baltimore Ravens. Henry also poked fun at Jerry Jones this week, suggesting the billionaire Cowboys owner has his number "blocked."