Colin Cowherd unleashed a scathing critique of Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, taking aim at his stance on head coaching salaries.
Jones sparked debate during an appearance on “105.3 The Fan” when he defended his team’s coaching budget, arguing that paying coaches more money does not necessarily lead to better results.
Colin Cowherd Rips Jerry Jones’ Cowboys Coaching Philosophy
Pointing to his observations across the NFL, Jones said, “In the NFL, this is after years of looking at all the teams and all the coaches, there is zero correlation between how much you pay a coach or how many coaches you have as to winning. There is no correlation. And that’s a random sample of years and all 32 teams involved. So put that in your hopper and smoke it.”
Cowherd wasn’t convinced by the Cowboys owner’s argument. Speaking on “The Herd,” he made it clear that he strongly disagreed with Jones’ approach.
“I’m going to do to Jerry what American voters did to Republicans last night. I’m going to rebuke his coaching policies,” Cowherd declared. “It’s absolute nonsense.”
The sports-media personality pointed to the difference between Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer and established NFL coaches who consistently win close games.
“Dallas is 1-4 with Schottenheimer this year in one-score games,” Cowherd noted. “(Broncos HC) Sean Payton has won 15 straight one-score games. Do you beat playoff teams, and do you win one-score games? That’s the easiest way to tell if you’ve got an elite coach.”
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Cowherd also reminded Jones that the Cowboys enjoyed their greatest success with experienced, high-profile coaches leading the team.
“I don’t even know what a hopper is, Jerry. But I know what hopping to an elite coach means,” Cowherd said. “You had one with Jimmy Johnson. He won two Super Bowls. You had one with Bill Parcells, who took over a hazmat spill for a team. Dallas was 15-33 the three years before Parcells got there; first year with Bill, playoffs.”
Cowherd also argued that coaching remains one of the biggest factors in determining a team’s success, particularly for a roster with as much offensive talent as Dallas.
“So, I am going to rebuke your coaching policies. You just can’t say it and lean into the draw and have me just go, ‘All right, it sounds right.’ It’s just nonsense. It’s absolutely not true.”
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According to Sportico’s estimated 2026 coaching compensation, Andy Reid, Sean Payton, John Harbaugh, Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan each earn between $19 million and $20 million annually.
Schottenheimer is reported to be among the NFL’s lower-paid head coaches, with an estimated salary ranging from roughly $5 million to $8 million annually.
Cowherd isn’t alone in questioning Jones’ approach, and the Cowboys’ recent struggles have only added to the debate. The Cowboys currently rank No. 22 in PFN’s Team Impact Score with a grade of 71.6.
At 3-5, the Cowboys have a lot of ground to make up, and Jones may need to rethink his approach to hiring a head coach if he wants to avoid another disappointing season.
