I don’t really have a dog in this hunt BUT why can’t both opinions possibly be right?
It seems to me like the Jones’ run things like a board room. Jerry has an ego, wants to be involved, is a bit of a jock sniffer, and the optics seem to be very important to him. Is he making the final decisions? Maybe but it’s probably for the optics most of the time. It’s hard for his personality type to leave the impression that he is not in control 100% of the time, especially when the cameras are on. At the same time, I’m sure his ego influences his impartiality and he does fashion himself as a bit of a talent evaluator.
Does that mean McClay is making the decisions? Maybe but it’s likely more nuanced. Most of these Jerry Jones “Chairman of the Board” types view themselves as master facilitators who want others to do the heavy lifting for discussion and debate. Many times it ends up looking like a law school debate class. Just like anything else in life, the people making their cases have to pick their fights. Some may go to the mat while others choose different battles. By the same token, McClay likely has less room to be wishy-washy due to the nature of his job description.
If Jerry is allowing 1 voice to dominate the room at the expense of others, that’s a problem. I’m not sure a short clip is enough to draw a conclusion but it could be a window into who wields the real clout in the room. Usually when one party feels they have received good counsel from another, that person tends to get a longer leash. By the same token, I can’t see a world where Jerry would allow the impression that he has yielded control. But if McClay is wielding the control, he is playing a dangerous game. The feedback and consult from the rest of the team is still critical and if they believe their feedback and opinions are not valued, it could impact the value of the information received.
Just a thought