Getty Ex-head coach Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during a game.
During a recent interview, former Dallas Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett laid down a serious warning to current Dallas HC Mike McCarthy.
Both Garrett and McCarthy are known for their friendly demeanors, but they’ve also had to deal with the adversity that comes with being an NFL coach. Garrett battled the attention of the Cowboys job from 2011 to 2019, while McCarthy has experienced said attention in Dallas and with the Green Bay Packers.
Now, Garrett is set to become a studio analyst for Sunday Night Football. When talking with Rich Eisen about his career change, the NFL Network host asked Garrett if he had any thoughts to share about McCarthy’s situation amid reports that Sean Payton could come back into coaching with Dallas as a possible destination. SB Nation’s RJ Ochoa provided a transcription:
“Well I think the biggest thing for any head coach and really for any player in the NFL, is really just focus on yourself and what you need to do to be your best,” Garrett said. “And I know that’s a cliche, and everyone thinks oh blah it’s coach speak and all of that, but it’s so true. And it’s so true certainly in a place like Dallas… And so when you’re in those roles you have to just really focus on what you need to do to be your best. And this was a theme that we tried to use with all of our players through the years. Players getting into Twitter wars and all of this kind of stuff. It’s like hey let’s just lock in on what we need to do each day to be our best. And when you’re preaching that message to your team sometimes you’ve got to preach it to yourself.
It’s an expansive quote from Garrett, but one that comes from the experience of dealing with what McCarthy is currently going through.
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Cowboys Up for Payton Bidding War?
Heavy’s Jonathan Adams recently covered the rumors and reports surrounding Payton, who recently retired as the New Orleans Saints head coach after the 2021 season. Despite his decision, speculation has continued with the Florida-Sun Sentinel reporting that the Miami Dolphins offered Payton a five-year, $100 million contract offer.
Sports Illustrated reporter Albert Breer provided more context, saying that Payton is in no rush to come out thanks to a lack of quality coaching candidates. That somewhat bodes well for McCarthy, but if Dallas is willing to splash the cash, Payton is easily the No. 1 candidate.
“As I see it, the reckoning is coming. Payton has leverage because he’s already got money, and will have multiple suitors if and when he decides to return to the sideline,” Breer explained on June 14.
Garrett Takes on New Gig
While McCarthy gets prepared for the 2022 NFL season, Garrett is preparing for it another way with NBC. Earlier in June, the network announced that Garrett will be replacing Drew Brees as a studio analyst on its broadcast.
Brees had only held the job for a year, and Garrett will now join Maria Taylor, Tony Dungy and Chris Simms in the primary studio coverage. In the meantime, Garrett will continue working on NBC’s USFL coverage.
“I’m truly humbled and thrilled to be joining the Football Night team and continuing my broadcasting career with NBC Sports, who have been fantastic to work with on the USFL,” Garrett said. “I intend to share my life-long passion for football and utilize my experience as both an NFL coach and quarterback to try to explain the game and break down the matchups for our audience every Sunday night. I can’t wait to get started.”