IRVING, Texas — Jerry Jones and Wade Phillips stood before disappointed Cowboys players yesterday and gave them some encouraging words to take into the offseason.
“Keep it the way it is,” was how running back Tashard Choice described their message.
Jones and Phillips did not speak with reporters, but players shared the news — a clear indication Jones plans to pick up the team option on Phillips’ contract for next season.
“It sounds like that Wade will be back, so we’re definitely happy about that,” defensive captain Bradie James said. “It just wouldn’t make any sense to let him go right now.”
Indeed, ESPN, quoting a high-ranking team source, said Phillips will return next season despite the Cowboys’ 34-3 loss Sunday to the Vikings. There has been no decision on whether to negotiate an extension of Phillips’ current contract, ESPN reported.
Dallas is 34-17 (counting playoffs) in Phillips’ tenure, having won the NFC East twice in three years. Only the Colts, Patriots and Chargers have more wins in that span.
This season, the Cowboys eliminated two major burdens by winning a playoff game and by having a winning record over the final month. They hadn’t done either since 1996. Things looked shaky when they opened December with consecutive losses, but they bounced back with a four-game surge that had many people expecting them to keep rolling through the playoffs.
“You can see we were a different football team from the start of the season to the end,” safety Gerald Sensabaugh said. “We were able to overcome the hard times, and that shows a lot about a team. That’s a [reflection] of Wade as a person.”