Chad Johnson calls out Jerry Jones: ‘Look at the elephant in the room’

We can count Chad Johnson among the people critical of Jerry Jones after Brian Schottenheimer was hired as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.

Johnson and Shannon Sharpe discussed the move on Saturday night’s Nightcap. Sharpe made it clear that he didn’t have a problem with Schottenheimer being hired. He did note that it seemed to go against what the Cowboys were looking for.

“‘We want somebody with previous head coaching with head coaching experience. We want somebody that called plays.’ Brian Schottenheimer’s never been a head coach — he didn’t call plays,” Sharpe said.

Johnson was more critical of Schottenheimer’s hiring, specifically detailing what it thought it meant about Jones as an owner.

“Obviously Jerry wants to continue his reign with power,” Johnson said. “He doesn’t want to relinquish that power. He wants to be in control of everything. And he hired a coach that will fall in line with just that.”

Johnson continued.

“The definition of insanity is doing things over and over and over, in a way you see fit — and expecting different results,” Johnson said. “The results have been the same for years, Unc. For years. And you continuously do it. Jason Garrett, Mike McCarthy, now Mr. Schottenheimer. Nothing is going to change until you remove yourself and get out the way and allow people to do their job — not you trying to do multiple things at once.”

Unc & Ocho react to The Cowboys hiring Brian Schottenheimer as their new HC 🏈@ShannonSharpe @ochocinco @ShayShayMedia_

Tune in: https://t.co/9969JS2JBy pic.twitter.com/AM7wECYokd

— Nightcap (@NightcapShow_) January 26, 2025

“Chan Gailey, Dave Campo, Wade Phillips, Jason Garrett, Mike McCarthy and now Brian Schottenheimer,” Sharpe said, reciting most of Dallas’ head coaches since the franchise’s last Super Bowl win. “All of ’em. Nothing changed. It’s just different names. But nothing’s changed.”

“Any of the people that you just called,” Johnson said. “Will any of them challenge Jerry?”

“Hell no,” Sharpe replied.

“My point exactly.”

Sharpe then detailed that no other NFL team showed any interest in hiring — or even interviewing — Schottenheimer.

“Think about it now,” Johnson replied. “Look at the elephant in the room. The coaches that were available, we’re talking about good coaches that were also available, that could have come to Dallas, that could have interviewed in Dallas, wouldn’t go for the shenanigans.

“You have to get out of your own way,” Johnson added. “You have to — you don’t have a choice.”

Unfortunately for Johnson and any like-minded people, Jones has given no indication that he wants to step back from his current role. Recent comments, in fact, suggest the exact opposite.

Ultimately, Schottenheimer’s record in Dallas will be the ultimate judge of whether this was a good hire. That said, the reaction to it is quite similar to some of the previous hires that Sharpe and Johnson mentioned.

The Cowboys last won a Super Bowl in the 1995 season. That was also the last time Dallas reached the Super Bowl — or even the NFC Championship Game. With the Washington Commanders’ Divisional Round win over the Detroit Lions, every other team in the conference has qualified for at least one NFC Championship Game in that time. Knowing that, a “more of the same” hire can’t be seen as good news for anyone who wants to see the Cowboys win.