Despite confident backing from owner Jerry Jones, many have questions about head coach Mike McCarthy’s future with the 7-9 Dallas Cowboys. This comes in the wake of the team not making the playoffs, despite immense talent on the roster. However, it’s also a fact that they lost their starting quarterback, Dak Prescott, for the season following the Nov. 3 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
McCarthy, who boasts a dismal 1-3 playoff record in Dallas, is up on his contract at the end of the 2024 NFL season. This led to many believing that he may not return to the Cowboys. However, if Jones’ statements are to be believed, a decision has already been made.
Jerry Jones’ Clear Message on Mike McCarthy’s Future With the Cowboys
Ahead of the Cowboys’ Week 18 game against the Washington Commanders, Jones addressed rumors swirling regarding how McCarthy’s future with the Cowboys could be affected by the results of the game.
“The hay is in the barn as far as our staff is concerned. … I don’t think something would happen out here Sunday that would impact where we’re going to be as we go forward,” Jones said.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones on @1053thefan on if there's anything that could happen Sunday that would impact his decision on the future of the team's coaching staff: "The hay is in the barn as far as our staff is concerned. … I don't think something would happen out here Sunday…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) January 3, 2025
Jones couldn’t have been clearer, implying that decisions about the coaching staff’s future have already been made and indicating no last-minute changes will occur based on the result against the Commanders.
Whether that is a positive or a negative for McCarthy’s prospects, though, remains to be seen as Dallas’ offseason unfolds.
Jones Remains Quiet on McCarthy’s Future but Feels ‘Good’ About Him
During Jones’ Tuesday morning appearance on “105.3 The Fan,” the owner addressed the topic of McCarthy’s future. However, he made sure to not spill any beans regarding the team’s thoughts on whether to bring back the head coach.
“I don’t have any comment this morning other than what you just said, and I think the fan sentiment has shown that Mike’s certainly got the kind of coaching background and coaching success that would make him a very qualified coach in the NFL,” Jones said.
“What I’m not going to do this morning is to get into any indication one way or the other that I’m not interested in having Mike back; I don’t want that to be the case at all.”
While Jones didn’t give a straight answer, he did shoot arrows, suggesting being impressed by the coach.
“Well, I feel good about Mike McCarthy,” Jones added. “The main thing is, I like the job that he’s done; it’s unfortunate we’ve had the year that we’ve had, but I feel good about Mike.”
McCarthy joined the Cowboys as head coach in 2020. After a 6-10 season in his first year, he recorded three consecutive 12-win seasons; however, he couldn’t lead the Cowboys any deeper in the playoffs than losing in the NFC Divisional Game in his third year.
Time’s a little uncertain, but going by Jones’ backing, there’s a good chance McCarthy returns next season.