The Dallas Cowboys made an unexpected choice by hiring Brian Schottenheimer as their head coach for the 2025 NFL season. This decision has disappointed many Cowboys fans, as it likely signals that Cowboys legend Jason Witten will not be part of the coaching staff. Witten, a legendary tight end who spent 16 seasons in Dallas and earned 11 Pro Bowl selections, was considered a darkhorse candidate during the hiring process.
Since retiring from the NFL, Witten has focused on coaching at the high school level, successfully guiding the Liberty Christian Warriors in Texas to consecutive state championships in 2022 and 2023. Despite lacking NFL coaching experience, there are supporters who believe Witten would have been an ideal fit for the Cowboys, especially given his established rapport with team owner Jerry Jones. Jones has spoken highly of Witten’s coaching potential, expressing confidence that he will one day excel as an NFL coach.
Nevertheless, Jerry Jones opted for Schottenheimer instead, and Schottenheimer seems uninterested in adding Witten to his staff. According to Jones, Witten is not anticipated to join the Cowboys in any role this season, a report first highlighted by Patrik Walker of the Cowboys team website. Ideally, Witten could eventually secure an assistant position in the NFL before pursuing a head coaching role once he gains further experience.
While it remains to be seen if this may happen in Dallas or elsewhere in the league, for now, Witten is expected to return to high school coaching.
