Any thought of Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett testing the waters with other teams ended Tuesday night. The Cowboys reportedly reached a five-year, $30 million agreement with Garrett, locking him down until 2020.
It’s quite a change in fortune for a coach seemingly forever on the hot seat since taking over as the Cowboys’ interim coach in 2010. Garrett was a former backup quarterback for the Cowboys and has Super Bowl rings from the team’s NFL championship victories in 1993 and 1995.
Garrett’s Cowboys teams have floundered at 8-8 for his first three full seasons, but this year broke through to finish 12-4, a playoff victory and just a few plays away from a trip to the NFC Championship. Garrett’s contract expired after Sunday’s 26-21 loss to the Packers.
When asked Tuesday if he wanted to remain with the team or test the market, Garrett said, “Absolutely I want to be here. We’re proud of the team that we’ve assembled, the staff we’ve assembled and the players we brought in here. I think we’re building the right way.”
Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli received a three-year deal to stay with the team, despite earlier rumors around the league saying that Marinelli may join his friend Lovie Smith to help coach the defense in Tampa Bay.
Keeping Rod Marinelli, who many thought would reunite with Lovie Smith, reflects very well on Cowboys culture created by Jason Garrett.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) January 13, 2015
Following Dallas’ heartbreaking loss Sunday that was headlined by the controversial overturned call on Dez Bryant’s apparent touchdown catch, Garrett has vocalized his disagreement with the NFL’s catch rule that requires the receiver to make a “football move” before the ball comes in contact with the ground. Garrett, who later called Bryant’s effort one of the greatest catches in the history of the NFL, has repeatedly said his star wideout made a football move in extending the ball to the goal-line after the catch.
