Mike McCarthy was hospitalized Wednesday morning after experiencing abdominal pain which led to further evaluation, according to the Dallas Cowboys‘ PR team. Here’s the latest on the Cowboys’ head coach.
What Happened to Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Mike McCarthy?
After further evaluation Wednesday, it was determined that McCarthy had acute appendicitis and was slated to have surgery Wednesday afternoon, according to the Cowboys.
He is expected to be released from the hospital following the surgery and anticipates coaching the Cowboys on Sunday night when they take on the Philadelphia Eagles in a key NFC East clash.
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, and special teams coordinator John Fassel handled practice Wednesday in McCarthy’s absence and will do so for any further days he has to miss.
McCarthy has only missed one game in his 17-year career as a head coach. He was absent for the Cowboys’ 2021 game against the New Orleans Saints after testing positive for COVID-19. Quinn stepped in as the team’s acting head coach for the contest and has previous HC experience from his time with the Atlanta Falcons.
If McCarthy were ultimately unable to coach on Sunday, Quinn seems to be the most likely candidate to do so in his stead, though McCarthy’s responsibilities would likely fall on a number of different coaches.
This is now the second surgery McCarthy has undergone this season after a minor back procedure in May kept him from coaching during rookie minicamp.
Stakes High for Cowboys-Eagles Clash
Even if McCarthy does return in time to coach Sunday’s contest as expected, Dallas will be without their leader for at least some of their valuable practice time ahead of the key clash.
Dallas (9-3) sits just one game back of Philadelphia (10-2) in the NFC East with five contests remaining and could pull even with a crucial win Sunday.
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That result would also even the season series at one apiece after the Eagles won the teams’ first meeting back in Week 9, 28-23. Conversely, a Philadelphia win would extend its divisional lead to two games with just four weeks remaining and make Dallas’ path to finishing atop the division significantly more challenging given the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Cowboys currently have a sizable lead for the NFC’s top Wild Card spot but are within striking distance of winning the conference and securing a first-round bye with a strong finish.
A win over the Eagles would go a long way toward Dallas’ hopes of achieving that goal and perhaps further thicken the plot in a fraught race for atop the NFC.
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