Cowboys prepared to make Jason Garrett a lame duck

Jason Garrett and the hot seat are always in close proximity, and now the Dallas Cowboys are prepared to make him a lame duck coach next season.

Jason Garrett’s time in Dallas could be nearing an end.

Over his eight-plus seasons as the Cowboys head coach, Garrett has gotten plenty of ire from fans and calls for him to be fired have been prevalent. He has survived though, as the perfect coach for a heavily involved owner like Jerry Jones. But heading into the final year of his contract, ESPN’s Todd Archer has reported Garrett is not expected to get a contract extension.

After the Cowboys won the NFC East for the second time in the last three seasons this year, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Cowboys planned to negotiate a long-term contract extension with Garrett during the offseason. It’s unclear what has changed, other than Dallas winning a playoff game and a parting of ways with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. The latter move lined Garrett up to take over the offensive play calling, and thus full ownership of his fate as head coach, but there are some early indications new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore will take those duties.

On Wednesday, as he apparently was cruising around the Dallas Metroplex, Jones called into the Ben and Skin Show on 105.3 The Fan. Garrett’s status was being discussed, alongside the delay in announcing previously rumored coaching changes.

"We’ve made several commitments and the reason it’s not being talked about isn’t because Jason is on shaky ground or isn’t on solid ground,” Jones said. “We’re putting together different ideas and we don’t want it to be a featured topic around the Super Bowl."

Along with Moore’s promotion to offensive coordinator being made official, Jon Kitna was officially named Dallas’ new quarterbacks coach on Thursday.

Garrett has been here before. After three straight 8-8 seasons from 2011-2013, his first three full seasons as head coach, it was playoffs or bust for the final year of his contract in 2014. The Cowboys went 12-4 that season, won the NFC East and won a playoff game before the infamous Dez Bryant catch was overturned against the Green Bay Packers to help cost them a trip to the conference title game. Garrett then got a five-year, $30 million contract.

Jones has long had an affinity for New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton, and rumors of a run at him surfaced again this month. Payton may leave the Saints at the same time Drew Brees does, as he enters the final year of his current contract at 40 years old, so Jones surely wants to be ready for the possibility Payton is available.

In the meantime, fairly or not, Garrett gets to coach another lame duck season and twist in the wind based on his boss’s whims.