INDIANAPOLIS– Head coach Jason Garrett's in the final year of his contract, and it appears it'll stay that way for the time being.
Garrett said Thursday discussions of a contract extension haven't taken place with management, which mirrors what owner/general manager Jerry Jones said at the Senior Bowl. If no deal takes place, that'll leave the head coach one more season to make an impression.
"My focus is really on being the best coach I can be each and every day," Garrett said. "So that's what I think about and that's what I focus on."
Garrett said he's not worried about being on the last year of his deal. The head coach made a significant change on the offensive staff this year, bringing in Scott Linehan to call the plays to help the Cowboys get over the hump after three straight 8-8 seasons. They had a chance to make the playoffs with a Week 17 win each of the last three years, but failed to do so.
It would make sense if Garrett would like to get an extension done, but he said he's not bothered that those talks haven't taken place.
"The way we look at it is you try to be great every day," Garrett said. "That is the approach we have always taken. It's a philosophy we emphasize with our players. We certainly have to live it as coaches. We try to bring the right people in and do things the right way and keep trying to learn and grow and make the right decisions for your football team.
"We've been close each of the last three years to win our division. We haven't gotten that done. We have to live with that reality. We're working hard every day to try to be great as coaches to help our football team take the next step." [embedded_ad]
It'll be a step forward if the Cowboys break their postseason slump, but if they do that, it'll be with Garrett taking a step back offensively. He said the hope is he'll have less of a role offensively with Linehan coming on board, allowing Garrett to have even more of an equal influence on both sides of the ball.
The Cowboys have gone 29-27 since Garrett took over as head coach in 2010, and he said the urgency is no different now than it's always been to get in the playoffs, despite the contract situation.
"There is always a sense of urgency," Garrett said. "The best players, coaches and teams live with a sense of urgency every day, 365 days out of the year. That is the philosophy we have. That is the attitude we take."
