IRVING, Texas – Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett set the record straight Tuesday after the team's first day of mini-camp.
Garrett said when the Cowboys coaching staff was finalized in late January that it was clear inside the organization that Bill Callahan would be calling the team's offensive plays going forward. However, Garrett didn't want anyone outside of Valley Ranch to know that because he thought it would be a competitive disadvantage.
But on Tuesday, Garrett admitted that he "didn't do a very good job" of publicly communicating that change.
Last week, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones strongly suggested Callahan would be taking over as play-caller, something Callahan confirmed shortly after. But when Garrett was asked about the play-calling situation during a press conference the same day, the team's play-caller since 2007 denied that a switch had been finalized.
"Just to say it one more time, Mr. Jones, Stephen (Jones) and I, we're all on the same page and have been on the same page for months and been acting that way around this building," Garrett said Tuesday. "We just hadn't said it out loud."
Garrett later added: "Where I made a mistake as a head coach was making sure the communication publicly happened more cleanly. It didn't happen as cleanly as I wanted it to last week and I take full responsibility for that."
As for where the offensive game-planning stands going forward, Garrett said it will be "a collaborative effort." The group most involved will likely include Garrett, Callahan, position coaches like quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson and quarterback Tony Romo.
"We'll continue to do it that way," Garrett said, "but we certainly want Bill to put his stamp on it."
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