Let the speculation run rampant.
With the Dallas Cowboys having a record of 3-6 and no Dak Prescott for the remainder of the season, Mike McCarthy is unlikely to be retained as the team's head coach when his contract runs out at the end of the season, barring a dramatic turnaround.
105.3 The Fan and other NFL media are already speculating on who the top candidates could be for the team's head coach. BetOnline came out with updated odds on who will be the Cowboys' next coach and former Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel was listed as the betting favorite at +300, followed by Detroit Lions OC Ben Johnson at +500, and Future Hall of Fame coach Bill Belichick at +600. Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores (+800) and Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury (+900) round out the top 5.
It might be time to add another name to the list.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones has long had an affinity for former tight end Jason Witten and said Friday on 105.3 The Fan that he believes he has a future coaching in the NFL.
"Yes. Without hesitation. Yes," Jones said when asked if Witten could be a head coach in the NFL. "He has something that you can't draw up. He reminds me a lot of our other tight end who is head coach up there in Detroit right now (Dan Campbell).
"Jason is very sophisticated when it comes to understanding football and all the nuances. But more important than anything, he really does understand the physical and the mentality of being physical and that part of it. Without a question, he could become (an NFL coach). He has extraordinary work ethic. ... He can be a top coach."
Witten is currently coaching his two sons at Argyle Liberty Christian High School. The school won the TAPPS Divison II State Championship in 2023.
Witten is the Cowboys franchise leader in receiving yards (12,977 yards) and catches (1,215). He was an 11-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First-Team All-Pro. He won the league's Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2012 and was elected into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2019. Jones has said that Witten would be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor at some point and the former tight end is eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2026.