Jason Garrett finally said goodbye to the Cowboys. Now, Jerry Jones should talk about their future.
Jerry #Jerry
Jerry Jones will hold his annual address on the state of the Cowboys late Wednesday morning.
It comes one day after Jason Garrett finally said goodbye.
After a decade of sharing a stage to proclaim the opening of training camp, Jones and Garrett are now two yachts passing in the night. Yes, as far as we know only one of them owns a 357-foot vessel, but the concept applies.
The coach Jones once hoped would prove to be his Tom Landry is now the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants. Garrett spoke in that capacity Tuesday. Jones, his son Stephen, and head coach Mike McCarthy will answer questions about the Cowboys in Wednesday’s conference call.
One of those questions will concern the number of veteran players that are checking into the Omni Hotel, adjacent to the club’s practice facility. Sources confirmed that’s taking place before the team hits the practice field in helmets for the first time on Friday.
The Cowboys can’t mandate players stay at the hotel for camp, but it’s been encouraged. Since McCarthy intends to take the practice field by 8 o’clock in the morning to beat the Texas heat, walking from their rooms instead of driving from their homes is a strong selling point.
There are bigger questions for Jones to answer. The club’s inability to sign quarterback Dak Prescott to a long-term deal and Jones’ stance — dad joke conceded — top the list.
No owner has been more outspoken publicly about the need for players and coaches to stand for the anthem. Jones has been adamant on the subject, declaring, “Our policy is you stand during the anthem, toe on the line.‘’
With the protests that swept the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death at the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, Jones will be asked for his thoughts and whether or not his policy remains. Threading this needle will be tough, which at least partly explains why Jones hasn’t taken any questions in public since late April.
Expect more than a carefully crafted response. Jones understands the importance of action, and the Jones family is philanthropic. Whether he drops the news at this press conference or later, look for the family to make a generous financial gift.
Nothing of that social weight accompanied Garrett’s session with reporters. He opened with a statement before taking questions.
“I just want to acknowledge my time in Dallas and how grateful I am for that whole experience and everyone in the Cowboy organization for the opportunity and for the support and the lifelong friendships that I’ve made,’’ said Garrett, who didn’t speak to local reporters after his departure.
“To the players, the coaches and the staff members who were with me and made my life way better, I am eternally grateful to them and really appreciative of having them in my life and for that experience. Awfully proud of the program that we built and the teams we had. We had a lot of great days there.
“So again, I’m very grateful for that experience and for the people who made that experience what it was.‘’
Garrett then requested that all questions focus on the Giants, not his time with the Cowboys.
Garrett assumed the job as the Cowboys head coach job midway through the 2010 season. That came after two-and-a-half years as the team’s offensive coordinator. He spent seven years in the organization as a backup quarterback.
That’s a long time to be part of one franchise. Yet you’ll notice that Garrett expressed his appreciation in systematic terms. There was no mention of Jerry or Stephen Jones.
No mention of any individual.
Systems over individuals. Process over personality. That’s one of the reasons Cowboys fans never truly embraced Garrett, that and the fact the team never made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons and failed to advance past the second round when they did.
Despite his request to keep all questions to the Giants, Garrett was asked to shed some light on what took place at the end of his tenure, when he was still at The Star while club officials interviewed McCarthy and others.
“No disrespect, but I don’t want to talk about the past that way,’’ Garrett said.
He then pointed out that he played for the Giants for four years and had great respect for head coach Joe Judge from afar.
Garrett finally said good bye to the Cowboys.
Now, we’ll hear what Jones has to say about this season and the future.
Catch David Moore on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) periodically throughout the offseason.
Find more Cowboys stories from The Dallas Morning News here.
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