Jones made the comfortable move that likely won't cost too much to replace Mike McCarthy as the Cowboys head coach

Here comes the gossip that would have Jerry Jones already forfeiting the 2025 season, tanking so his Cowboys can select University of Texas QB Arch Manning in the 2026 NFL Draft.

"How,'' wonders Cowboys legend Irvin of the in-house hire of coach Brian Schottenheimer, "do you do the same damn thing and get something different?"

But not this time. No, Jerry Jones wanted to sneak the announcement of Brian Schottenheimer being named the franchise’s 10th head coach under the radar, leaking the word just before 9:45 pm eastern on a Friday night.

Many would call the Cowboys’ hiring of Brian Schottenheimer on Friday night as the next head coach a decision founded in comfort and safety. While that’s true from a football operations standpoint, it’s also perhaps the riskiest decision Jones could have made. That risk isn’t tied to wins and losses, but something Jones cares about even more.

The curious part is that Brian has been an assistant coach since 1998, and while he had the tag of “Hot Assistant Coach” for a while, it faded. He’s served as an analyst, a quarterbacks coach, a tight ends coach, and an offensive coordinator since he started his career with the St. Louis Rams, in 1997.

That’s what happened on Friday night. In making perhaps the most uninspired head-coaching hire in team history (Dave Campo might have a case otherwise), Jerry knew to not pound on the front door but to slip through a basement window.

Adding a little levity to the situation, a “things could actually be worse” look at the Cowboys’ coaching search. | From @BenGrimaldi

"I don't know what will happen with coach Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys, but Jerry Jones is a shrewd, shrewd businessman, and this (Deion Sanders) opportunity, I'm shocked he did not see." - Michael Irvin.

Filling out his staff and figuring out how the offense is going to run are top-of-the-list items for Brian Schottenheimer.

Former Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin believes Jerry Jones made a mistake by not hiring Deion Sanders as the team's next head coach. The Cowboys