The Cowboys would love to have reason to re-sign Jason Garrett as their head coach after the season. But they chose not to extend Garrett’s contract in the offseason, putting pressure on him to “take the next step” to remain as the team’s coach after this season.
The Cowboys are 3-2, beating three teams with a combined 2-12 record and losing to two teams with a combined 8-2 record.
The back-to-back losses to the Saints and the Packers have brought Garrett’s job security again into question.
Garrett’s odds to be the next head coach fired are 4-1, behind only Dan Quinn (3-1) and in front of Doug Marrone (6-1) and Adam Gase (10-1), per SportsLine.com.
Executive vice president Stephen Jones gave Garrett a vote of confidence Monday, and Jerry Jones said on his radio show Tuesday he would like to dispel any question about Garrett’s future.
“Well, yes. Dispel it, yes,” Jerry Jones said on 105.3 The Fan. “Don’t bet any money against that happening. You’ll lose it.”
Jones has fired only one coach midseason and that was Wade Phillips in 2010 after the Cowboys quit on Phillips in a 45-7 loss to the Packers to fall to 1-7. Garrett’s players always have played hard for him regardless the circumstances.
The Cowboys trailed 31-3 in the second half Sunday only to rally to within 34-24 before Brett Maher missed a field goal in the final two minutes.
Of course, if the Cowboys don’t do more in the postseason, they won’t have to fire Garrett. They just won’t renew his contract after this season.
Since taking over at midseason in 2010, Garrett is 80-61 with three playoff trips, two playoff wins and no appearances in the NFC Championship Game.