“I’m actually a Philadelphia Eagles fan,” Jimmy Johnson told Hard Rock Bet this week and set the Dallas Cowboys fanbase on fire. He further claimed that the Miami Hurricanes are the “number one team” for him. Well, that extracted a few stern words from former Cowboys players Nate Newton and James Washington.

“The Jimmy that you hear in our locker room may not be the Jimmy you hear now,” Newton said during his appearance on Cowboys Country Football. “I mean it’s over. You done won two Super Bowls. He done been everything to FOX. So, that’s his thing. But I’ve been a Cowboy for life. So, Coach Johnson, if I ever see you down there on your boat you may get pushed off of it. I love you coach, but not that much.”

Washington pointed out that Newton, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith were all Cowboys fans. However, there was an explanation for Johnson aligning with the Philadelphia Eagles: “I can understand where Jimmy is coming from. Because, can you imagine a coach, even though he coached other places, but we know he got in the Hall of Fame off his first five years? Every once in a while, he gets a chance to stick it to the Cowboys. And Jimmy always been petty. I see you, Coach.”

Johnson began his coaching stint with the Cowboys back in 1989. It was a disappointing year with a 1-15 record. But it was under his guidance that the Cowboys won two back-to-back Super Bowls in the 1992 and 1993 seasons. Newton played as the guard, and Washington was a safety during that period.

Following that, Johnson moved to Miami and became the head coach for the Dolphins after taking two years off. He stayed in Miami until the 1999 season before retiring from his NFL role. So, he doesn’t really have any experience coaching the Eagles.

However, Johnson has a good relationship with Jeffrey Lurie, the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles. It’s worth noting that Lurie became the owner of the Eagles in the same year (1994) when Johnson left Dallas after petty disagreements with Jerry Jones. Lurie even tried to bring Johnson to Philly and made three trips to South Florida. But the former Cowboys head coach decided to settle in with the Dolphins.

Newton continued to throw some light on Johnson’s pettiness. He revealed that the Cowboys used to call him “Little General.” That’s indeed the perfect nickname for a coach who had high expectations from the team. But in return, Johnson would call the players “something worse than that behind his back.” He further blamed their pettiness for the unrest between Johnson and Jones.

“If y’all get a chance to go watch, I don’t know if it was our first Super Bowl or our second Super Bowl, when they handed the trophy to Jerry, and Mr. Petty Betty was looking like [makes a disappointed face],” Washington continued. “I am so proud and so glad that he’s in the Hall of Fame because he was one of the best head coaches I’ve ever played for at the level. But bruh, you know you petty.”

Newton and Washington know their former coach all too well. Regardless of which team he claims to root for in retirement, the back-to-back Lombardi Trophies and the affectionate roasting from his former players show that Johnson’s true legacy will always belong to Dallas.

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