Jerry Jones previously eyed Sean Payton for Cowboys job, but timing never aligned, he explains

For years, what might have been haunted Jerry Jones. The Dallas Cowboys owner chased Super Bowls, cycled through coaches and defended countless decisions — yet one name seems to linger in the background: Sean Payton. Long before he led the Denver Broncos to the top of the AFC West, Payton was a young, inventive offensive mind in Dallas, serving as Bill Parcells’ assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach from 2003-05. Back then, Jones saw something special — maybe even the future of his franchise.

But the future had other plans.

Payton left for the New Orleans Saints in 2006, where he won a Super Bowl and built a résumé that has since made him one of the most respected coaches in the modern NFL. Jones, meanwhile, watched from afar, occasionally fielding questions — and perhaps feeling a flicker of regret — about the coach who got away.

That conversation resurfaced again this week as the Cowboys head to Denver to face Payton’s Broncos at Mile High Stadium on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. 

During his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan, Jones received questions as to whether there was ever a point when he thought Payton could become the Cowboys’ coach.

“Several times. It just never fit,” Jones said without hesitation. “He was never there when we needed to be thinking about making a change. The timing never fit. He’s certainly one of the better coaches that I’ve been around in my career.  And we’ve always had a tremendous respect for his ability to coach a team in every respect. I thought before he ever was a head coach that it probably would happen here. Turned out he took that New Orleans job and the rest is history. There’s no coach that we think any more of, respect any more, than we do Sean Payton.”

Now, nearly two decades later, Jones and Payton meet again on opposite sidelines. 

The Broncos (5-2) found their footing after a turbulent start to Payton’s tenure, entering Week 8 atop the AFC West following last week’s dramatic fourth-quarter comeback against the New York Giants. Dallas, meanwhile, is trying to win consecutive games for the first time under Brian Schottenheimer after scoring 44 points in a win against the Washington Commanders last Sunday.

Schottenheimer — unlike Payton — came from within, promoted in January after three years on the Cowboys’ staff, including the past two as offensive coordinator. His familiarity with the roster and system made him a natural fit for a team looking for stability after parting ways with Mike McCarthy.

Through seven games, Schottenheimer’s Cowboys (4-3) are a work in progress: flashes of offensive rhythm mixed with stretches of inconsistency. The win over Washington showed what the unit can be when it’s balanced and confident — Dak Prescott in command, the run game efficient, the defense feeding off momentum. But against Denver, the challenge will be tougher. Payton’s Broncos thrive on late-game poise, a trait that helped the Broncos erase a 19-point deficit to beat the Giants last Sunday.