IRVING, Texas – With the Cowboys fighting for their playoffs lives here in the final six-game stretch of the season, owner Jerry Jones didn't make it sound like his head coach is actually fighting for his job.
In fact, he has said that in the past and reiterated that thought Thursday to reporters at practice at Valley Ranch.
Jones said Jason Garrett returning as head coach in 2014 does not hinge on making the playoffs this year.
And when asked directly if Garrett would be the coach next year, Jones emphatically said, "yes."
"It's not that (an Armageddon year) for Jason, and I'm disappointed that we don't have a better record," Jones said. "But he has got us in position to win the division and got a team here that I firmly believe has the ability to be one of the better-playing teams at the end and in position to get in the playoffs. We see logically how to get in the playoffs, we have that, for all practical purposes, in our control. Now that's a pretty good spot to be in after 10 games. And so a lot of this story is to be played out. It does not have a bearing on whether or not he will be our coach next year." [embedded_ad]
Garrett, who joined the Cowboys in 2007 as the offensive coordinator, took over Wade Phillips in the middle of the 2010 season when the Cowboys were 1-7. As interim head coach, Garrett led the Cowboys to a 5-3 finish before being named the official head coach in 2011.
The Cowboys have finished 8-8 the last two years and have lost the season finale both seasons with the NFC East title and a playoff spot on the line. Garrett is 21-21 as the head coach of the Cowboys and 26-24 including the eight games as interim in 2010.
