Jason Witten floated as possible Cowboys head coach

Jason Witten has emerged as a possible future head coach of the Dallas Cowboys as the team struggles through another season under Brian Schottenheimer. Dallas radio host Bob Sturm described the former star tight end as being on an “extremely short list” of potential saviors for the franchise and suggested a change could come as soon as January.

The Cowboys are 4-5 heading into their Week 10 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. They lost at home to Arizona in Week 8, then narrowly beat Indianapolis in Week 9. Dallas is at risk of finishing below .500 for a third straight season, a result that could lead owner Jerry Jones to dismiss Schottenheimer.

Witten recently earned his first college coaching victory while serving as Oklahoma University's temporary offensive coordinator. Dallas drafted him in 2003 in round three, and he spent his first 16 NFL seasons with the Cowboys before playing his final season with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020.

A 11-time Pro Bowler, Witten is Dallas’s career leader in receptions, with 1,215, and receiving yards, with 12,977. His 72 touchdown catches rank second in team history, one behind Dez Bryant. Witten also earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2007 and 2010 and received the Walter Payton Man of the Year honor in 2012.

Dallas has had eight head coaches since its last Super Bowl title, in the 1995 season, and has not advanced beyond the NFC divisional round during that span. Witten’s possible candidacy comes amid renewed questions about the team’s direction.