Mike McCarthy is in the final year of his contract with the Dallas Cowboys, and his chances of returning next year are nearly zero. Dallas has a bye this week and is 3-3 this season.
They lost 47-9 at home to the Detroit Lions in their last game and have given up 119 points in three home games this season. Troy Aikman recently called out the Cowboys’ receivers for their route running, and Colin Cowherd believes McCarthy should be blamed for it.
Colin Cowherd Blames Mike McCarthy for Cowboys’ Struggles
Cowherd believes that McCarthy’s career as an NFL head coach is over. He thinks the Cowboys are a poorly coached team, and a change is inevitable.
“When Troy Aikman calls you lazy and when Michael Irvin this week calls you soft, Mike McCarthy’s career is over. It’s not official; it’s like the [Los Angeles] Dodgers-[New York] Mets series [in the MLB’s NLCS]. It’s over. It’s just not official,” Cowherd said on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd”
“So, in five seasons, Mike McCarthy, one playoff win, it’s over. And again, when you have the bigger Aikman and Irvin going out and willing to say this publicly in the same week, the messaging is pretty clear, Mike’s out, Jerry wants him out. Make the landing soft, but they can’t compete at home — and lazy receiver routes. That’s on coaching.”
“When Troy Aikman calls you lazy and Michael Irvin calls you soft, Mike McCarthy’s career is over.”
— @ColinCowherd pic.twitter.com/MOCdJJEpyY
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) October 18, 2024
McCarthy became the Cowboys’ head coach in 2020 and has a record of 45-28 in 73 regular season games. He is 1-3 in the playoffs, which is a big concern.
The Cowboys have not played well on both sides of the ball this year. They currently have the worst run game in the league and their defense is allowing an average of 143.2 rushing yards per game.
They have a tough set of fixtures coming up, and few will be surprised if the team fails to make the playoffs. It would be a huge blow for Jerry Jones, who just signed both Dak Prescott to a four-year, $240 million deal and CeeDee Lamb to a four-year, $136 million deal.
McCarthy Replacements: Potential Candidates for Cowboys HC
With McCarthy likely gone after this season, the Cowboys might have already shifted their focus to finding their next head coach. Currently, the leading candidates in the next head coaching cycle are Detroit Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, Mike Vrabel, Bill Belichick, and Houston Texans’ offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
Getting a coach like Vrabel or Belichick will be the best possible solution for the Cowboys. Both of them will establish a culture in the organization, which Dallas desperately lacks.
The Cowboys have star players all over the field, but they are often termed “soft.” A head coach like Vrabel or Belichick will fix that issue, as they love to coach hard and instill toughness among the players.
The Cowboys have not made the NFC Championship Game since 1995, but they are still the most valuable sports franchise in the world. Jones must hire a good head coach, as the fans are losing faith in him and the team.
