Jerry Jones Had Weird Answer on Why He Hired Brian Schottenheimer During Cowboys Presser

You can see what he was getting at, but it was an odd way of getting there.

Dallas Cowboys' owner Jerry Jones during press conference on Jan. 27, 2025. / Ari Meirov / Twitter / Screenshot

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones introduced former-offensive coordinator-turned-head-coach Brian Schottenheimer at a press conference on Monday morning and it was a bit weirder of a meeting than you would imagine.

Once he got the mic, Jones went off on a long tangent about his time managing the team and his prior coaching aspirations before finally getting to his thoughts on Schottenheimer. Watching it back, it was just a long explanation as to what went into the decision to hire the coach, plus an attempt at flaunting his credentials for making the choice, but it went on for quite some time. Osmosis was mentioned.

At one point in particular, Jones outlined the risk associated with bringing Schottenheimer on at the helm, considering he would be a first-year head coach leading one of the most famous franchises in football. And while Jones isn't wrong to think it, it seemed a bit bizarre a point to highlight as your message to the outside NFL world while introducing the new leader of your team.

"I get my proverbial a-- kicked over needing people in my comfort zone," Jones began. "Without this thing being about me in any way, if you don't think I can operate outside my comfort zone, you are so wrong. This," he says, pointing toward Schottenheimer, "is as big a risk as you can take. No head coaching experience."

Jerry Jones on hiring Brian Schottenheimer:

"If you don't think I can operate outside my comfort zone, you are so wrong. This (hiring Schottenheimer) is as big a risk as you can take. No head coaching experience."pic.twitter.com/hOUAw8mJ6H

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 27, 2025

He continues by listing other reasons Schotty is qualified for the job, including the fact he is the son of former NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer and has spent a lot of time watching and learning, but circles back to the idea that, though he (Jones) isn't known for risk-taking, this choice is risky.

Fans might view it as a "less-than-glamorous hire," he goes on. "What I would say to you is I got here taking shots. And not shoddy shots. I got here taking shots. ... This was risky. This is risky. But by the same token, how often can you take a risk when someone has had almost 30 years ... of being around coaches, of being around players? That's two-thirds of his life. And then the rest of it growing up in an NFL-oriented family. ... I'm all in here."

So while his heart was probably in the right place and he did express admiration and hope for Schottenheimer by the end, there were parts of the monologue that felt a bit like back-handed compliments toward the head coach sitting next to him.

Oh, Jerry.

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