A vocal segment of Cowboys fans can't seem to get over the fact Jason Garrett remains the team's head coach.

That angst didn't dissipate Tuesday as Oakland and Chicago held introductory news conferences for their new hires. In the words of Raiders owner Mark Davis, luring Jon Gruden out of the TV booth to lead his franchise "is a big effing deal."

Effing wasn't the exact word choice, but it's the G-rated translation.

None of this excitement is evident at The Star these days as Garrett goes about deciding who will be his next quarterback coach. That qualifies as a significant coaching change this offseason for Jerry Jones.

For fans who lament the owner's life choices in this matter, for those who can't understand Jones' insistence on sticking with a head coach who has one playoff victory in his 7 1/2 seasons, maybe this will assuage your frustration.

If the Cowboys fail to make the playoffs in 2018, Garrett won't survive.

Skeptics among you will have trouble swallowing that statement. You embrace the idea that Jones has invested so much time into Garrett that the 75-year-old owner is reluctant to change now. You subscribe to the notion that the head coach has some sort of hypnotic hold over Jones and has lulled him into complacency the way he does reporters in his daily news conferences.

It's a process.

Don't buy into those theories. If Garrett isn't the best version of himself in the upcoming season, if the Cowboys don't return to the playoffs, Jones knows he must make a change.

Jones genuinely likes and respects Garrett. But he's no more loyal to Garrett than he was Tony Romo or DeMarcus Ware or any other individual.

Jones' ultimate loyalty is to the organization. That's his identity. That's how his legacy will be judged.

The Cowboys leaned on a rookie quarterback in Dak Prescott and a rookie running back in Ezekiel Elliott to compile a 13-3 record during the '16 season. They secured the No. 1 seed and a first-round bye. An exciting, close loss to Green Bay in the playoffs was viewed as nothing more than a speed bump.

The transition to life after Romo was underway, and it was quicker and more successful than anyone in the organization envisioned possible. Jones can excuse not making the playoffs this season because of the drama swirling around Elliott's suspension and injuries to left tackle Tyron Smith and linebacker Sean Lee that hit at the worst possible time.

That won't be the case 12 months from now.

How can anyone argue that Garrett is continuing to build the program if he fails to make the playoffs in consecutive seasons after going 13-3? He would be viewed as squandering the franchise's key, young assets, not developing them.

He would be viewed as a coach who had been tuned out by his players.

Now, step back and look at the larger picture next January. If the Cowboys are again on the sidelines, it will mean that Garrett's team missed the playoffs in six of his eight full seasons as head coach. That's an indictment Jones will be unable to ignore.

Here's something else to keep in mind. This isn't the AFC where New England reigns supreme and Pittsburgh waits in the wings for the Patriots slip.

There's no dominant franchise in the NFC. Atlanta is the only team in the conference to appear in the playoffs the last two seasons.

Six different teams from the NFC have advanced to the Super Bowl while Garrett has been the head coach of the Cowboys. Eight different teams have advanced to the NFC Championship Game during his tenure.

Jones has discovered a measure of patience in his golden years, but it only goes so far.

This sense of urgency isn't apparent outside the organization as the Cowboys look for a special teams coordinator, a tight ends coach and a few other spots on Garrett's staff. But it's there.

A growing legion of Cowboys fans question whether Jason Garrett is the right man for the job.

Jerry Jones will become a member of that club if the Cowboys aren't in the playoffs one year from now.

A tenured position

Only seven coaches in the NFL have been with their current clubs longer than Jason Garrett.

Catch David Moore and co-host Robert Wilonsky on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) on Intentional Grounding at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.