"Jerry Jones is slick": Skip Bayless slams Cowboys billionaire owner for passing on Pete Carroll

The Dallas Cowboys' chaotic head coach hunt has seemingly concluded, as the team is reportedly close to promoting offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to replace Mike McCarthy.

The news came as a bit of a surprise as owner Jerry Jones was reportedly eyeing Colorado Buffaloes head coach and Cowboys icon Deion Sanders and veteran Pete Carroll to lead the franchise. While the former was seemingly never keen on leaving college football for the NFL, the latter was keen on landing a new gig.

The Cowboys spoke to Carroll but passed on him for Schottenheimer. By the looks of it, the franchise genuinely gave the Super Bowl-winning head coach a shot at getting the job. However, analyst and lifelong fan of the franchise Skip Bayless claimed the team's meeting with the 73-year-old was bogus and Jones was never going to sign off on that deal.

In a rant posted on The Skip Bayless Show's X account, he said:

"Jerry Jones is slick. He knows how to play that PR game. So now he has leaked word that he talked to Pete Carroll. Didn't bring him in for an interview. He talked to Pete Carroll just so he could tell everybody after he hires Brian Schottenheimer, well, 'I did talk to old Pete, but we didn't really come to any sort of conclusion about anything.' Stop it. Jerry, I've heard enough."

Bayless added that Carroll would have held Jones and the Cowboys' top brass accountable for their shortcomings, and hence, he never had a realistic chance of getting the job:

"He's just too charismatic for you. Jerry. You couldn't run over Pete Carroll, you couldn't tell him what to do. You couldn't order him. You couldn't demand. He would take over your franchise. And then when he won, and I believe he would win very quickly, he would get almost all the credit, maybe not Deion (Sanders) kind of credit, but almost all the credit would go to Pete Carroll."

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Pete Carroll announced as the new Raiders head coach

Pete Carroll didn't have to wait long after the Cowboys' snub to land a new head coaching gig. On Friday, NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero reported that the Las Vegas Raiders were hiring the 73-year-old to lead the franchise.

Carroll spent the entire 2024 campaign at home after the Seahawks surprisingly parted ways with him at the end of the 2023 season. The veteran was keen on landing the Chicago Bears' head coaching gig, but the franchise opted for former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.

The Raiders weren't the most enticing head coaching opportunity. However, Carroll is an expert in helping teams turn their fortunes around. He helped the USC Trojans become a juggernaut and win the National Championship before leading the Seahawks to two straight Super Bowl appearances and one win.

Las Vegas Raiders were in desperate need of a leader who could flip their fortunes, and they are entrusting the 73-year-old with the task.