Cowboys coaching search: Jason Witten would not be “the next Dan Campbell”

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

There are so many people trying to equate Jason Witten to Dan Campbell.

One name generating a lot of discussion in this Cowboys head coach search is former Dallas tight end Jason Witten. A common comparison when Witten’s name comes up is Detroit Lions’ coach Dan Campbell. But while the similarities between Witten and Campbell are actually pretty thin, there’s another potential candidate in Dallas who compares much more closely to Campbell.

It’s easy to see why people would want the next Dan Campbell. He’s taken the Lions, one of the most underperforming teams in NFL history, to their best years in three decades. They’ve won two straight NFC North titles, something they hadn’t done even once since 1993. Every year since becoming Detroit’s coach in 2021, Campbell has led the team to more wins than his previous season. They’re now coming off a 15-2 regular season and first-round bye, getting ready to host the Washington Commanders on Saturday night.

Granted, part of Campbell’s success has been the superior work of his coordinators. Ben Johnson’s offense and Aaron Glenn’s defense have both among the hottest names for head coaching vacancies in the league. Indeed, many would rather see Johnson taking the job in Dallas over any other candidate. For some, even Glenn would be a more preferable choice than other options like Witten, Deion Sanders, or Kellen Moore.

But even with the strong supporting staff, Campbell is rightfully credited for the cultural shift that has sparked the Lions’ success. His strong, perhaps even brash, personality is louder than the franchise’s reputation. He has the team playing with unity and fire, evidenced by an even better record from 2023 despite a first-place schedule.

So again, it makes sense to want someone like Campbell. But why are so many quick to force that comparison on Jason Witten? Sure, they both played tight end for the Cowboys. But their playing careers were vastly different.

Witten is a Dallas legend, playing 16 total seasons with the Cowboys and as one of the most prolific pass-catchers in team history. He’s also one of the best TEs in NFL history, near the top of every all-time statistical mark. It’s only a matter of time before Witten, who retired after the 2020 season, gets his rightful place in Canton.

Campbell had a much different playing career. While Witten had over 1,000 yards in four different seasons, Campbell only had 934 passing yards over 11 seasons. He did start 76 games but was much more of a run blocker and occasional receiver. If he ever ends up in the Hall of Fame it will be for what he accomplishes as a coach, not a player.

They’ve also had very different paths so far as coaches. Witten turned down NFL and college coaching opportunities in 2021 to lead a private high school’s football program in Texas. Campbell also went straight into coaching in 2010 but stuck to the NFL, interning and working as the TE coach for the Miami Dolphins. He was their interim head coach in 2015 after Joe Philbin was fired, then moved to the Saints the following year for another TE coach job while also serving as the assistant head coach. That led to his hiring in Detroit in 2021.

So not only had Campbell been coaching much longer than Witten before he went to the Lions, but he’d also been doing it in the pros. And when it comes to their playing careers, again, we find that they were on very different levels. That shows how the comparison between them, in terms of their background, is pretty weak.

Now, regarding their personality and approaches to the game, you might see more parallels. One guy who saw both is Jerry Jones, who in addition to his long relationship with Witten got to observe Campbell from 2003-2005 as a player in Dallas.

From December 29th, 2023:@MikeBacsik asks Jerry Jones if he knew Dan Campbell would be an NFL head coach, and Jerry takes a hard turn into praising what kind of a head coach he believes Jason Witten will be. pic.twitter.com/oCOLsvEWKO

— Bobby Belt (@BobbyBeltTX) January 14, 2025

So maybe there’s something to that part of the comparison. Jones would know better than than us. But even if that’s legit, Witten becoming the Cowboys head coach after a few years of high school ball would be an astronomical difference from the path Campbell took to the Lions. It would be more akin to the hiring of a college coach, which Jones hasn’t done since Barry Switzer in 1994.

This isn’t to say Witten isn’t the right guy for the Cowboys. But it would feel more like the setup for a Disney movie than a traditional, or even logical, road to someone claiming one of the biggest jobs in sports. Even the somewhat unorthodox hiring of Campbell felt well within the bounds of normalcy, while Witten’s would be a jaw-dropper.

So no, Witten would not be the next Campbell. That they once worked in the same TE room in Dallas is about the only tangible connection you can make. Witten would very much be his own guy with a unique journey, hired for his legacy as a player with a franchise desperate to grab and keep attention.

But if a shot at the next Campbell is what you’re looking for, could I interest you in Al Harris?

Dallas’ defensive backs coach since 2020 and assistant head coach in 2024, Harris has had a much more similar transition from playing to coaching. He moved straight into an internship role with Miami in 2012, coincidentally when Campbell was also with the Dolphins, then started working as an assistant with the Chiefs from 2013-2018. After one year at Florida Atlantic University in 2019, he joined the Cowboys as part of Mike McCarthy’s new staff.

Like Campbell, who never served as an offensive coordinator, Harris has yet to run his own defense. But we’ve seen that Campbell’s value is not so much in X’s and O’s but more his presence and leadership throughout the entire locker room and staff. Harris’ personality has been evident to those who follow the Cowboys’ excellent “Sounds From the Sideline” videos. The defensive backs always seem to be a motivated group exuding camaraderie, and Harris has helped guys like Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland have some of the biggest individual seasons in the history of NFL cornerbacks.

This isn’t to stump for Al Harris, but more to show what a more substantive comparison to Dan Campbell looks like. It’s definitely not Jason Witten, but he still probably has a much better chance at becoming the Cowboys’ next head coach. If that happens, just don’t fall for the superficial narrative.