Years of speculation surrounding Mike McCarthy’s position as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys have finally borne fruit. As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, McCarthy and the Cowboys could not agree on a new contract with the veteran coach.
McCarthy’s contract with the team expired last Wednesday, but a one-week negotiating window was established to give both sides time to reach an agreement. However, as Schefter reported, neither party had discussed a new contract as of yesterday.
McCarthy Era Ends
So ends McCarthy’s five-year tenure as Dallas’ head coach. He compiled a 49-35 record during his time in Big D, but there were also painful losses in the wild-card round to the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers. He had compiled together three consecutive 12-5 seasons before this year, but the Cowboys could only produce one playoff win: a 31-14 shellacking of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 2023 Wild Card game.
Dallas started the 2024 season 3-2, but a rash of injuries to key players spelled doom for their season. Among those who missed significant playing time were quarterback Dak Prescott, wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, and cornerback Trevon Diggs. This sent the team on a five-game losing streak from which they never recovered.
Owner Jerry Jones has always believed in a stable coaching staff, and there were no in-season changes to McCarthy’s staff during his entire time with the Cowboys. Statistically, due to their injuries, Dallas dropped from first in the league in points per game in 2023 to 20th in that category this season. Similarly, while their defense improved as the season progressed, it placed 31st in the NFL with 27.5 points allowed per game.
Coaching History and Next Moves
McCarthy rose to fame as the celebrated coach of the Green Bay Packers, who he led to nine straight playoff appearances, including a win in Super Bowl XLV, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25. His overall regular season record with the Packers was 125-77-2, and in the playoffs 10-8. Those were swashbuckling Packers teams led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers and other stars such as Jordy Nelson, Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews III, and David Bakhtiari. McCarthy was fired by the Packers after week 13 of the 2018 NFL season and spent 2019 as the offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints.
As for McCarthy’s future, rumors exist that the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints are interested in his services. Last week, the Bears actually sent a formal request to the Cowboys requesting permission to speak with McCarthy about their head coaching vacancy. Dallas denied the request.
As for the Cowboys, it’s back to the drawing board as they search for their ninth coach of the Jones era, dating back to 1989. Early speculation surrounding McCarthy’s successor centers around Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Hang on to your cowboy hats because it’s going to be a wild ride as Dallas searches for a new head coach.
