The Dallas Cowboys appear poised to part ways with head coach Mike McCarthy following one of the most underwhelming seasons in recent franchise memory.
With the team sitting at 3-6, the Cowboys are headed for their first losing season in four years, making McCarthy’s return for a sixth season increasingly unlikely.
McCarthy joined the Cowboys in 2020 on a five-year contract, succeeding Jason Garrett as head coach, but now faces an uncertain future as his contract nears its end.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano reports that insiders would be “surprised” to see McCarthy retained after the season’s conclusion, indicating that his departure may be all but certain.
“I was in Dallas over the weekend, and there’s a great deal of chatter about who might be coaching the team next year, as Mike McCarthy is not signed for 2025. It would surprise a lot of people to see him back. Jerry Jones has made it clear he won’t change coaches during the season, so McCarthy will at least get to coach out the season,” Graziano wrote.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, known for his relative patience with head coaches, notably allowed Garrett to continue coaching for nearly a decade despite limited playoff success.
Yet the writing seems to be on the wall for McCarthy, as Jones hasn’t shown signs of extending the coach’s contract beyond this year.
Jones has refrained from making midseason coaching changes since 2010, when he replaced Wade Phillips with Garrett, who ultimately remained head coach for 10 years.
McCarthy arrived in Dallas with a reputation for offensive innovation, built during his time with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.
However, that reputation has waned, particularly in recent seasons. Despite leading Dallas to three consecutive 12-win seasons from 2021 to 2023, McCarthy’s struggles in the playoffs – where he holds a 1-3 record with Dallas – have cast a major shadow over his regular-season achievements.
Many were surprised to see McCarthy return after the Cowboys’ nightmare loss to the Packers in last year’s playoffs. There was heavy speculation that Jones would replace Big Mike with Bill Belichick.
Perhaps he will have a second shot at making that happen…
What are your thoughts on the reports that McCarthy is all but guaranteed to be gone after this season???