The Cowboys Reportedly Had A Trade In Place For Sean Payton To Replace Jason Garrett Back In 2019 Before Anthony Davis Forcing His Way Out Of New Orleans Caused The Deal To Fall Apart
PFT Commenter's internet dad has a new book coming out book that you can buy here since it has over 100 stories with big ol' nuggets inside like this one that he just shared.
Pro Football Talk- The year was 2019. The month, January. The Cowboys had won 10 of 16 games, along with a wild-card contest against the Seahawks. They lost to the Rams in the divisional round, 30-22. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones contemplated an upgrade from coach Jason Garrett to Sean Payton. Jones wanted to pull the trigger. Payton did, too. Things unfolded quickly. The Saints had played in the NFC Championship, losing to the Rams on January 20. That week, Jones quietly made his move.
It was a delicate situation, for various reasons. First, the Cowboys had a coach. Jones wouldn’t have fired Garrett unless he knew he could have gotten Payton. Second, league rules (specifically, the Rooney Rule) require a diverse and inclusive search. Third, Jones had to ultimately know that, after going through the motions of a search, he’d be able to get Payton. So a deal was worked out, behind the scenes. The Saints would have allowed the Cowboys to hire Payton. The Cowboys would have compensated the Saints for the rights to Payton’s contract. And Payton would have signed a new contract with the Cowboys.
It was ready to go. It was happening. It was locked, and it was loaded. Then came Monday, January 28. On that day, New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis announced he would not sign another contract with the team, and he requested a trade. (In July, the Pelicans traded him to the Lakers.) Gayle Benson owns both the Pelicans and the Saints. Saints G.M. Mickey Loomis was, as of January 2019, the executive vice president of basketball operations with the Pelicans. Once Davis made clear his intention to leave New Orleans, Loomis told Payton that Loomis couldn’t be the common thread between a pair of such high-profile Louisiana departures.
I know I just used this gif in my blog about Payton leaving the Saints but McCarthy looks sooooo fucked right now
Sports are so fucking weird sometimes while also being lowkey more dramatic than anything on TNT has on these days and those motherfuckers Know Drama™. The Cowboys have had a ton of talent for a while but by the grace of God haven't had a stud coach to put it all together and allow people like this to be happy at the end of a season for the first time since before Robbie Fox was born.
I thought that was because Jerry Jones wanted a coach he could boss around. Nope! Turns it out was because a 7 foot dude with a unibrow wanted to work in Los Angeles instead of New Orleans. I'm sure Greenie, Coley and every other Celtics diehards may disagree, but the Cowboys not having a competent coach for the last three years (and counting) completely is worth the Lakers winning that weird ass bubble title.
Can you imagine what Jerry Jones said after Mickey Loomis told him he couldn't give Jerruh his shiny new head coach because the Pelicans suck? It's so fucking perfect. At least until I realize this all ended with Jason Garrett becoming the Giants offensive coordinator and turning Daniel Jones from a QB that went 24/12 as a rookie to 21 touchdowns total the last two seasons. But still, any loss for the Cowboys is a win for the other 31 fanbases. God bless Mickey Loomis. God bless Anthony Davis. And God bless the Los Angeles Lakers, who honestly may now be my second favorite NBA team.