Jason Garrett may be on his own during critical season in Dallas

Just a few weeks ago, the idea was pushed by outgoing Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant that Dallas head coach Jason Garrett was consolidating his power by orchestrating Dez’s release. According to Bryant, it was “Garrett’s guys” who prevailed on the front office to get rid of a talented receiver who could often be combative with teammates and coaches during games.

Dez declined to identify who he meant with that comment, but it’s easy to narrow down the possibilities with his words. 

"Little do they know is, you know, they can wear that 'C' all they want to, but in that locker room they know who they communicate with," Bryant said in an interview with NFL Network. 

The Cowboys captains last season, of which Bryant was not one, were Dak Prescott, Jason Witten, Sean Lee, Tyrone Crawford, Dan Bailey and since-released Orlando Scandrick.

If Garrett, whose teams have only made the playoffs twice in seven years as Cowboys coach, somehow held sway over an entire franchise, that perception took a hit on draft weekend when an ESPN report indicated that potential Hall of Fame tight end Jason Witten is set to retire and join the announcing booth, just like recent former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. Witten has long been said to be Garrett’s most important and most vocal proponent in the locker room, dating back to when Garrett was offensive coordinator under Wade Phillips.
Witten’s retirement, if it does happen this year, is not said to be out of frustration or antipathy for Garrett. It still caught the organization by surprise and came somewhat late in the offseason roster-building process, must like the Cowboys' decision to release Dez, which has likely hurt his market for a new team.

That Witten didn’t mention anything to Garrett or the team about retirement before the first round of the draft or before the report hit the media is certainly suspicious. Of course, Witten has played 15 seasons for the franchise and turns 36 years old in May. He’s more than put in his time with the team, and he’s reached the age that it makes sense to hang 'em up. His on-field production has declined over the last few seasons. The toll on his body must be extensive given that he hadn’t missed a start since 2004. If the time is right, it’s his prerogative to walk away when he wants, not when is most convenient for his team.

Witten’s official decision has not yet been made, though is expected in the coming days. Chris Mortensen reported that Garrett has pleaded with Witten to play the 2018 season. At this point in his career, Witten is likely only good for one or two more seasons, with diminishing returns. Even at that limited level, Garrett understands Witten’s importance as an influential veteran in the locker room and superior talent on the field to Dallas’ other options at the position.

2018 is bound to be a make-or-break season for Garrett. Jerry Jones claimed he never considered firing Garrett in 2017, even as plenty speculated that the Cowboys would be searching for a new coach. Of course, there are excuses to find if you happen to be fond of Garrett: the mess involving Ezekiel Elliott’s suspension, a Prescott sophomore slump, injuries yet again costing Lee a slew of games, being only one year removed from a 13-3 season, etc.

But even an obedient coach to a domineering owner runs out the string. It certainly didn’t help that the reigning champion and division-rival Philadelphia Eagles had the TV moment of the draft by sending out former kicker David Akers to taunt the Cowboys in their own stadium by mentioning that the players being drafted weren’t even alive the last time the Cowboys were in the Super Bowl in early 1996. The Eagles twisted the knife by jumping in front of Dallas to take the best pass-catching tight end available, just hours following the report of Witten’s retirement.

With Romo, Bryant and Witten gone over the course of a year, it feels like a changing of the guard in Dallas. If Garrett can’t get Dak to rediscover solid footing following an often shaky 2017 season, it’s likely even more changes are coming. The first is almost certainly going to be Garrett, particularly with one less "Garrett Guy" around to vouch for him.