Few people have experienced the Dallas Cowboys’ 1990s dynasty as Michael Irvin did. Arguably, one could credit owner and general manager Jerry Jones for reestablishing the team in its dynasty era after he entered Texas. In fact, Irvin was a big part of it. But one can not ignore the awful fallout between Jones and the then-head coach Jimmy Johnson. For Irvin, that’s the first big mistake the owner made. And while trying to make up for it, Irvin believes Jones ended up making another.

“I was very hurt and disappointed with losing that catch streak. It was Arizona. Aeneas Williams,” Irvin said during his recent appearance on the DLLS Cowboys Podcast. “And during the game, Troy [Aikman] would say, ‘You haven’t caught it. I didn’t know that.’ I said, ‘Come on, don’t worry. Just win the game. Let’s just win the game.’ And then we win the game. I was hot. But I understood and I didn’t wanna make it more of a wedge between Chan Gailey and I.

“Out of all the things Jerry ever did here, that was the biggest mistake he made. I mean, second to him and Jimmy [Johnson] falling out. I don’t want to throw a dart at him. But Chan Gailey should have never been here.” 

Jones brought in the soft-spoken, even-tempered Gailey to replace the rather stormy Barry Switzer. While he helped the team to a 10-6 season in his first year there, it didn’t take time for things to unravel.

The team lost early in the playoffs both years under Gailey because of his approach. He wanted to keep the defenses scratching their heads by changing the strategies that were either too creative or too conservative. But the offensive-minded head coach failed at utilizing the strengths of QB Troy Aikman, WR Irvin, and even RB Emmitt Smith.

Aikman would usually have to throw dump-off passes. But the worst came with Irvin.

In a November 15, 1998, matchup against the rivals, the Arizona Cardinals, Gailey made some questionable choices. Going into the afternoon at Sun Devil Stadium in Week 11, Irvin had an active streak of 117 consecutive games with at least one reception. But that changed when cornerback Aeneas Williams kept targeting Irvin, and the Cowboys had to change their strategy.

By the late second quarter, Irvin wasn’t given the ball in favor of Jeff Ogden. Irvin was targeted only once in the 35-28 win, which he missed.

He did bash the former Cowboys’ head coach for having poor people management skills. But during the game against Arizona, he knew complaining about personal stats after a tough divisional victory would only create a deeper, more toxic wedge between himself and his head coach. But years later, he still feels the sting. 

Chan Gailey’s tenure with the Cowboys began in 1998 but ended in just two seasons. Under Gailey’s leadership, the Cowboys managed to secure back-to-back playoff appearances. However, the team suffered first-round playoff exits in both seasons. The team had an 18-14 overall regular-season record with him.

On the other hand, Irvin spent 12 years with the Cowboys and started 147 out of 159 games. He received 750 out of 1,272 passes for 11,904 yards. He scored a total of 65 touchdowns and made 598 receiving first downs. Irvin’s elite status in Cowboys history makes his sharp criticism incredibly noteworthy today. He knows exactly what championship coaching looks like. And he firmly believes Gailey simply didn’t fit the mold. 

However, even when firing him, Jones remained adamant that bringing Gailey was never the wrong decision:

”This decision I had to make is about football,” Jones said in 2000 when firing Gailey. ”It wasn’t about egos. Chan Gailey, relative to when he accepted this job, burned the midnight oil. He worked hard, he was diligent, he was honest. He did everything I imagined.”