NFL Rumors: Dallas Cowboys Officially Tell Jason Garrett He’s Out As Head Coach

The Dallas Cowboys have finally made a decision on Jason Garrett’s fate — a final decision.

Jay Glazer of Fox Sports reported on Sunday that the Cowboys have officially informed Garrett that they will not be bringing him back as head coach, ending weeks of speculation about whether the team would bring back the coach with the expiring contract. As Glazer noted on Twitter, the Cowboys finalized the move and told Garrett on Sunday that he won’t be back next season.

Garrett was at the end of his contract with the Cowboys, and there were rumors throughout the season that he would need a long playoff run to save his job. The Cowboys sputtered after a 3-0 start to the season, faltering down the stretch and losing control of the NFC East to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Glazer had reported earlier in the week that the Cowboys made it clear they were moving on, but Garrett pushed the team to wait on making a final decision.

“Never seen anything like it,” Glazer said, via NESN. “Because Jason Garrett, they’ve gone to him now multiple times this week to say, ‘OK, you’re out as the head coach.’ And he says, ‘Hold on, don’t do it yet, I still want to be considered for this.’ And every time they do it, say, ‘We’re moving on, we’re starting to interview other people’ … They have to tell Jason Garrett, ‘No, you’re gone, we’re moving on.'”

Garrett reportedly pressed for play calling decisions if he were to return, but the pitch apparently did not sway the Cowboys away from their decision to cut him loose.

It had been widely reported after the season ended that the Cowboys would be moving on from Garrett, but it apparently was not until this weekend that the team made the move official. The lingering situation led to some speculation that the Cowboys may be trying to keep Garrett on the hook and not let him go to a rival team, but the newer reports indicate that it was Garrett pressing to Cowboys to wait on a decision.

The Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones may already have a replacement in mind for Garrett. As the NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Twitter, the team had talks with former Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy and former Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, but University of Oklahoma coach Lincoln Riley may be at the top of the list.