Stephen Jones denies talk that Cowboys reached out to Sean Payton

The rumors about the Dallas Cowboys chasing after Sean Payton just won’t go away and have now garnered an on-the-record denial from the franchise.

Cowboys vice president Stephen Jones denied reports that the organization reached out through backchannels to speak to the New Orleans Saints coach last offseason. Jones also gave another vote of confidence to Jason Garrett.

Cowboys VP Stephen Jones was asked on @1053thefan about the team reportedly reaching out to Saints head coach Sean Payton through back channels last offseason: pic.twitter.com/zhQdVyC04e

— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 16, 2019

Jones is correct: the Cowboys have stood firmly by Garrett during his entire tenure, even when his time as coach got off to a mediocre start. That hasn’t stopped the Payton rumors, which have lingered for a long time.

While Garrett may be on his last legs as coach of the Cowboys, Payton just signed a five-year extension with the Saints back in September. It’s unlikely that he walks away from that pact so quickly.