The Dallas Cowboys are facing questions about more than their latest loss. With Brian Schottenheimer under pressure, former players have started weighing in on who should lead the team next.
One suggestion has brought a familiar name into the conversation, but many fans believe Dallas needs a fresh direction rather than another connection to its past.
Former Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant bel
ieves Jason Witten could be the answer if Dallas makes a coaching change.
Bryant shared his preference on X, writing , "I'm just saying… if anything were to happen in Dallas… Jason Witten should be the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. I can see it… and I'd love that."
The suggestion comes after Dallas blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead and lost 33-30 in overtime to the Arizona Cardinals on Nov. 1.
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The defeat dropped the Cowboys, which rank dead last on PFN's NFL Defense Impact Metric , to 3-5, putting Schottenheimer under further pressure. Jerry Jones has backed his coach for now, saying an in-season change is not part of his plans.
Witten has coaching experience, including a 26-1 stretch across two seasons at Liberty Christian School. He joined Oklahoma as tight ends coach in January 2026 and became the Sooners' interim offensive coordinator and play-caller on Nov. 2.
Still, Cowboys fans questioned whether his connection to the franchise makes him the right choice.
One fan argued Dallas needs to move away from familiar hires, writing on X , "No man, Cowboys need to escape the constraints of hiring only people with affiliations to Jerry or the organization because that is the problem and has been."
Another reaction directly appealed to Jones to dismiss Bryant's suggestion. The Cowboys fan account Sleeper Cowboys posted , "Jerry, please ignore this."
One fan brought up former coach Jimmy Johnson, who won two Super Bowls with the Cowboys, writing , "Hell naw bro I love Jason Witten, but we need a coach like Jimmy not another yes man frfr @DezBryant and you know I'm not lying."
This concern about the relationship between the coach and ownership appeared again in another response.
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"Bro cmon. Are we down this bad right now? I could care less if Jason Witten is successful as the HC of the Cowboys. We are enabling this friendly, family, good ole boy culture, where you're not gonna push back on management because he gave you a shot," the fan wrote .
One fan preferred established names over a first-time NFL head coach. The user suggested , "Man hell no! Hire Mike Tomlin or Deion Sanders."
One reaction dismissed Bryant's proposal altogether, with a fan posting , "This is how you know it's a horrible idea, confirmed."
The debate also comes as Jones faces criticism for his approach to building the coaching staff. He recently argued that coach salaries have no direct connection to winning, defending his decision to hire Schottenheimer on an estimated $4.5 million salary.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
