Jerry Jones’ Jason Garrett endorsement comes with conspicuous omission

Jerry Jones is keeping Jason Garrett on notice.

The Cowboys owner said Tuesday he believes Garrett “will be coaching in the NFL next year.” He just isn’t ready to say yet whether it will be in Dallas.

“Nobody has the exclusive skills to get the job done so that collectively you can win a Super Bowl,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. “But there are qualified people. Jason Garrett is one of them. In my opinion, Jason Garrett will be coaching in the NFL next year.”

Garrett is squarely on the hot seat in his 10th season leading the Cowboys, who are an underachieving 6-6 and need a late push to sneak into the playoffs atop a measly NFC East.

Jones has not been shy in expressing his displeasure with Garrett in recent weeks. After the Cowboys fell to the Patriots in Week 12, Jones said, “I shouldn’t be this frustrated,” considering the makeup of the team, and pointed the finger elsewhere, saying, “I don’t think there’s a game where a coaching staff couldn’t do better.”

That was compounded by a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Bills at home.

Meanwhile, a report surfaced recently naming the Giants as a “real and legitimate” landing spot for Garrett should the Cowboys fire him and the Giants fire Pat Shurmur. That would go along with Jones’ comments on Tuesday — that Garrett could still be coaching next year, even in the NFC East, just not in Dallas.

For now, though, Jones seems set on letting Garrett finish the season.

“First of all, Jason Garrett is a good coach,” Jones said. “He’s also one of the hardest working coaches. He knows this team better than anybody. … I’m glad to have him. He is the guy for the job.”

At least for now, anyway.