ATLANTA -- Prior to his team's game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome on Sunday night, Dallas Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said the speculation regarding coach Jason Garrett's job status has no basis.
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported earlier Sunday that suspended New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton's multiyear contract extension, which he signed in September 2011, was voided because NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn't like certain language it contained.
Payton, a former assistant coach with the Cowboys who has a close relationship with Jones, was mentioned as a possible replacement should he become a free agent after this season.
"I don't know anything about other club's contracts," Jones said. "I don't know any details. It's just totally, not anything to do with the Cowboys or our team at all. I put those kinds of things, are beyond me."
When told reporters didn't think Garrett's job status was an issue, Jones said, "You were smart not to, you know more than whoever was talking today. It's not an issue that has any basis at all. I'm as surprised as you are."
He added: "I don't know what created the speculation. It has no basis from anything we've heard or anything like that."
After Sunday night's 19-13 loss in Atlanta, Garrett is 16-16 overall since taking over on an interim basis in 2010. Jones' faith in Garrett seemed unflappable after the loss dropped the Cowboys to 3-5, increasing the odds that they'd miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
"Oh, I have a lot of faith in Jason," Jones said. "I think Jason's future is ahead of him. I know how hard he works. I like his philosophy, so I've got a lot of faith, a lot of confidence.
"One of the brightest spots I see is our head coaching and our coaching in the future."
Goodell said Sunday he hasn't ruled on Payton's contract status because it's up to the Saints and the coach to come up with a new deal.
Information from ESPNDallas.com's Tim MacMahon was used in this report.