Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitted earlier this week that finances played a part in their decision to keep suspended linebacker Rolando McClain.
But in a turn from previous reports that coaches were tired to the sometimes-there, sometimes-not linebacker, Jones said that his coaches supported the move.
During an interview with 105.3 The Fan (via the Dallas Morning News), Jones said he wasn’t the only one in favor of keeping McClain despite his 10-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.
“Everybody lobbied to have McClain on the team. Every coach that’s associated with the team lobbied for that,” Jones said. “To be fair to everybody concerned, we didn’t know that he was going to get suspended. But his issues were potentially recognized, maybe not to the extent that he would lose the games that he got in this suspension.
“But make no mistake about it: With all of his warts, he still considered a potential asset for the team by the coaches.”
That flies in the face of reports that coaches were sick of McClain, who didn’t show for voluntary OTAs. But it also wouldn’t be the first time Jones has disregarded the displeasure of his coaches on personnel matters, so it’s not surprising that he would assume his feelings were their own.