Garrett hired, but for what?
The Dallas Cowboys added Jason Garrett to their coaching staff Thursday night, and said he would remain a candidate to replace retired head coach Bill Parcells.
Garrett, the backup to Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman for two Super Bowl titles in Dallas from 1993-99, was quarterbacks coach in Miami the last two seasons – his only coaching experience. Garrett also had been in line to become the Dolphins’ offensive coordinator for new head coach Cam Cameron.
The Cowboys said Garrett’s responsibilities and title won’t be determined until the head coaching search is complete. The most likely scenario, however, is that Garrett will become the offensive coordinator if he’s not the head coach.
“The nature and timing of this hire is unique in that we were dealing with a limited window of time in which to talk to Jason about returning to Dallas,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in a statement.
The Dolphins gave Dallas permission to talk to the 40-year-old Garrett, but also told the former quarterback that he had to decide by Thursday if he was going to sign a contract extension. That deadline passed with Garrett still in Texas.
“Jason is someone who is held in high regard as a bright offensive mind throughout the NFL,” Jones said. “We are grateful to the Dolphins for granting the Cowboys permission to explore this opportunity. Jason will now proceed further in our head coaching search as an in-house candidate.”
San Diego defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, the former head coach at Denver and Buffalo who also had interim stints in New Orleans and Atlanta, is scheduled to interview today about the head coaching vacancy.
The Cowboys also plan to talk to San Francisco offensive coordinator Norv Turner, a former head coach, and New Orleans defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs.
Jaguars hire Shula
Former Alabama coach Mike Shula was hired as the quarterbacks coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Coach Jack Del Rio and Shula reached a deal at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and the team expected a contract to be signed early next week.
Shula went 26-23 in four years at Alabama.
Arizona coaches sign on
The Arizona Cardinals hired former Dallas assistant coach Todd Haley as their offensive coordinator, and retained defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast.
Haley, 39, is a 10-year NFL coaching veteran who spent the last three seasons as the passing game coordinator/wide receivers coach on the staff of Bill Parcells, who retired Monday.
Pendergast, 39, spent the last three seasons as Arizona’s defensive coordinator under Dennis Green and has been an NFL assistant for 12 seasons.
Manning gets thumbs up
Reggie Wayne doesn’t see any problem with Peyton Manning’s bruised right thumb.
Wayne, a Pro Bowl receiver, said that he noticed nothing wrong with Manning’s throws in practice aside from a few errant passes that are typical.
“He threw the ball fine,” Wayne said. “He threw a couple of wobblers, but that’s normal. He looked OK to me. I’m sure if he had to cut the thumb off to play, he’d do it.”
Manning was injured late in Sunday’s AFC championship game against New England after he hit the thumb on the helmet of left tackle Tarik Glenn.
Manning was still expected to make his first Super Bowl start Feb. 4 against Chicago.
Bengals’ Henry jailed
Chris Henry got a judge’s lecture and a two-day jail sentence after settling the last of his four court cases, putting the Cincinnati Bengals receiver in line for another suspension from the NFL.
Henry drew a two-game suspension this season for violating the league’s conduct and substance abuse policies, and could get a harsher punishment for his latest convictions.
“We are reviewing this and will take appropriate disciplinary action in due course,” spokesman Steve Alic said.
Henry had four arrests in the last 14 months.
He avoided jail time in the first three cases, but was taken to the Kenton County Jail in northern Kentucky after a judge accepted his guilty plea for letting minors drink in a hotel room he rented last spring.