Cowboys legend calls out Jerry Jones on Cowboys hire

The Dallas Cowboys filled their open head coaching vacancy Friday, hiring offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to replace Mike McCarthy as the head man in Dallas. Former Cowboys wide receiver and longtime NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin talked about the hire on his YouTube channel on Saturday, and it's safe to say he thinks Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones made a mistake.

"Here's my issue: We lost an opportunity here," Irvin said. "I don't know what will happen with Coach Schottenheimer and the Dallas Cowboys, but Jerry's a shrewd, shrewd businessman, and this opportunity, I'm shocked he did not see."

If Irvin had been in charge of hiring a new head coach, he would have swung for the fences and gone all out for Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. Sanders and the Cowboys reportedly had mutual interest in one another, but ultimately Dallas went with their offensive coordinator.

"I was pushing for Deion Sanders to be the next head coach, and I still stand ten toes down on that push," Irvin said.

Irvin added that the Cowboys, America's Team, haven't played in an NFC Championship in 30 years. Meanwhile, two NFC East teams, the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles, are playing Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line. With the Commanders making the NFC title game this weekend, the Cowboys now have the longest active drought without appearing in that game. Irvin doesn't feel that hiring Schottenheimer will get Dallas back there.

"They've lost a generation of fans," Irvin said. "That's 30 damn years. Forty years is a generation. Right here, right now was critical mass. It was time to bring somebody in here that could shake things up and grab this last leg of Cowboys Nation."

Despite 25 years of experience coaching in the NFL, the Cowboys' new head coach has no head coaching experience at any level and Irvin wished his former team hired someone who had previously been a head coach.

"The Raiders hired Pete Carroll, he had some experience," Irvin said. "Last time, when we did Mike McCarthy, he had some experience. I got to slap myself and say, 'Give it a chance, at least they walked the walk already.' Brian hadn't walked no walk."

The last time Dallas hired their offensive coordinator was when they named Jason Garrett head coach. While he contributed to Dallas' NFC Championship drought, the Cowboys won three NFC East titles with him at the helm. Maybe Schottenheimer can replicate what Garrett was able to do for America's Team, but the Cowboys are hoping he can get them further than they have been in the past three decades.

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