As the Cowboys searched for Mike McCarthy‘s replacement, Jason Witten emerged as a potential candidate. The All-Pro tight end will not be with the team in 2025, though, and he recently confirmed a position on Dallas’ staff was never discussed. 
“I did not talk to [owner] Jerry [Jones] about it,” Witten confirmed (video link via All DLLS). “I think they went through a thorough process for them and got to a place where they felt like Brian [Schottenheimer] was the guy. I never worked with Brian or any of that, but I’ll always pull for the Cowboys,”
Witten spent the first 16 years of his decorated career with the Cowboys, and he has been mentioned as a candidate to return to the organization at some point on the sidelines. The 42-year-old was reported to be a head coaching contender last month, something which raised eyebrows given his complete lack of experience at the NFL and college levels. Witten has worked as head coach for Liberty Christian School in Argyle, Texas for the past four years; that span has included two straight state championships.
A move to other coaching opportunities in the future will be possible whenever Witten chooses to take a new challenge. That could eventually take the form of a role with the Cowboys; the possibility of a non-head coach title for 2025 was floated before the Schottenheimer hire which would have paved the way for Witten to become an heir apparent. Such a scenario is something Witten would entertain down the road.
“Of course that’s a long-term goal of mine to one day get back there, when the right opportunity comes,” he added. “I think for me to be able to coach my son and take over a program and win back-to-back state championships at that level, it’s been really, really special and memories that I’ll keep with me for the rest of my life. When that right time and the right opportunity comes, I’m excited to embark on that next chapter.”
Schottenheimer will call plays on offense for Dallas this season, one in which Klayton Adams will be in place for his first career OC gig. An agreement sending Witten back to the Cowboys (presumably working on the offensive side of the ball to start) could be in play at some point in the future, but for now nothing on that front is in the works.
Anything that keeps him out of an announcer’s booth