Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy entered the 2024 season on the hot seat with team owner Jerry Jones and the fan base looking for this team to take a step further in the playoffs. Instead, the Cowboys have been one of the worst teams in 2024 leading to a myriad of NFL rumors regarding McCarthy’s future.
While many have called for McCarthy’s firing, especially when the team was 3-7, Jones has regularly shown great patience with his head coach. Jason Garrett, who Mike McCarthy replaced before the 2020 season, lasted 10 seasons in Dallas with an 85-67 record in the regular season and just 2 playoff wins over that span. Instead of being fired, Dallas let his contract expire following the 2019 season.
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- Mike McCarthy coaching record: 47-32 as the Dallas Cowboys coach, 5-7 in 2024
McCarthy seemed to be headed for the same fate. The Cowboys opted not to extend his contract following a third consecutive 12-5 season, instead making the veteran head coach go into a prove-it year on the final season of his deal. However, with Dallas on the brink of missing the playoffs for the second time under McCarthy, Jones opened the door to a 2025 return.
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Speaking to reporters before Thanksgiving, Jones said it’s possible he would sign McCarthy to a contract extension this offseason to keep him around as the Cowboys coach for years to come. However, some NFL insiders seem to believe that’s smoke coming from the Cowboys’ owner.
Appearing on Bleacher Report, James Palmer shared his belief that it’s “hard to believe” McCarthy will receive a contract extension this offseason and the sense around the league is that Dallas will undergo a “reset” this offseason after so much went wrong for the team this year.
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As Palmer notes, the fact that Jones didn’t extend McCarthy’s contract after consecutive 12-win seasons with MVP-caliber play from quarterback Dak Prescott in 2023 makes it highly unlikely missing the playoffs this year would suddenly earn an extension.
Besides, the pool of head-coaching candidates this year is especially deep and includes experienced options who could improve the Cowboys’ culture (Mike Vrabel and Bill Belichick) along with up-and-coming coaches who have thrived as offensive and defensive play-callers in recent years. Ultimately, despite Jones’ comments this week, McCarthy is likely done in Dallas.
