"We think a lot of him as a coach" - Jerry Jones reveals whether the Cowboys are interested in hiring Sean Payton as HC

Jerry Jones, Sean Payton, and the Dallas Cowboys have been at the center of rumors off and on for the last few years.

As Drew Brees approached retirement and Payton entered the latter stages of his time in New Orleans, many expected the coach to enter a fresh chapter with a team like the Cowboys. However, the team has stuck with Mike McCarthy, former head coach of Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

General Manager and owner Jerry Jones commented on the rumors connecting himself to Payton. The owner shot down the rumors but also expressed high expectations for his current head coach. Here's how Jones put it via a clip shown on "The Rich Eisen Show":

"Sean Payton shouldn't be out there. That's an injustice, too ... No, we're good friends. It's well known. We think a lot of him as coach, know him well, and all of those kinds of things. But in this case ... he should be a conversation piece."

Jerry Jones continued, laying out an expectation to win two Super Bowls with McCarthy:

"Mike has got an opportunity here to win a Super Bowl and he's got an opportunity to win another Super Bowl. And so that's really the measurement of it, not just for me, but it's an eternity between right now and this time next year in our game. And I'm not trying to be dramatic..."

Jones went on to defend the head coach, saying:

"That's the way this game is structured. When our staff is in place for the year, Mike is not only here, but he's in the best position in my mind to lead this team as coach. He is very qualified to win a Super Bowl. And I will tell you, he has the kind of qualities in person and individually that I really want to work with."

The Cowboys' general manager continued to back the head coach, outlining a belief that the players fully respect him:

"And I know his players feel the very same way and his coaching staff feels the same way. I feel good about Mike and it should be a part of a conversation right now as to where Mike is relative to [Sean Payton.]"

---

Mike McCarthy before Jerry Jones

McCarthy worked with Aaron Rodgers and Brett Favre during the first 12 years of his NFL head coaching career. From 2006 to 2018, the head coach helped the team to a Super Bowl win and nine winning seasons.

However, McCarthy was ultimately ousted after Week 13 in 2018 after a season and a half of struggle.

In 2017 and 2018, the Packers went 7-9 and 4-7-1 on McCarthy's watch. He missed the 2019 NFL season before being hired by the Dallas Cowboys after they cut ties with Jason Garrett. Since then, McCarthy has taken the team to a 6-10 and 12-5 record in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

With Super Bowl hopes in plain view, the head coach has his work cut out for him. Despite their excellent record in 2021, the team failed to win a playoff game, continuing a multi-decade streak of failing to reach the Super Bowl.

In an offseason marked by subtraction, most agree McCarthy has even more on his plate in 2022 than he did last year. Will the former Packers head coach step up to the plate and meet the goals set for him by Jerry Jones?