Jerry Jones on being "crazy enough" to hire Deion Sanders as Cowboys HC - "I have always admired him"
Jerry Jones will hire his former cornerback Deion Sanders as the new head coach of the Dallas Cowboys in 2025 per rumors. But has that notion always been well-founded?
The rumors of such a star-studded reunion have been rampant heading into the 2024 season, which is the last of incumbent Mike McCarthy's contract. The owner only addressed such speculation when speaking on a special edition of Stephen A. Smith's eponymous show on Wednesday.
Towards the end of the episode, Smith asked(1:05:49) :
"Is Jerry Jones crazy enough to do something like that (hire Deion Sanders)?"
Jones responded(1:06:30):
"No, but he does know how to spell well enough and not answer a hypothetical question. You are familiar with the love affair that we have. I have always admired him, both on and off the field. Some of the best stories that I have to tell about my time in sports have been of Deion type stories with with Deion and Michael [Irvin] and those guys."
Jerry Jones praises Mike McCarthy amidst Deion Sanders, Bill Belichick rumors
But what about Mike McCarthy, the man Deion Sanders is heavily rumored to be replacing?
Cowboys fans may not have to worry, as Jerry Jones has hinted at retaining him after 2024 - possibly even if Dak Prescott is ditched for the current Colorado coach’s son (and quarterback) Shedeur. In that same interview, the owner said that their playoff struggles did not reflect the former Green Bay Packers leader’s true character (starts at 1:04:26):
“Mike McCarthy is an outstanding coach. … I'll tell you firsthand, he's got outstanding ways with players. He's an outstanding coach, as hard a working coach as I've ever been around."
Sanders, however, is not the only one rumored to want the coaching spot. New England Patriots legend Bill Belichick was seriously considered for the role before electing to join The CW as co-host of "Inside the NFL." When asked about deciding against hiring him, Jones said (1:03:52):
“What you're seeing is just the way that I'm doing it right now. Certainly I did not renew a lot of contracts. There's nothing to keep me from renewing a contract out here this afternoon. This is just the way that I wanted to do it, so that we could basically speak to fans, team, everybody involved.”
McCarthy, meanwhile, would not address his plight, telling reporters on Monday that he would rather focus on the current season.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/news-cowboys-remain-bill-belichick-s-top-option-former-patriots-hc-fails-land-falcons-job-report