Mike McCarthy wanted five more years with the Dallas Cowboys, and NFL fans weren’t going to let him make that request unscathed. After missing the playoffs and extending Dallas’ Championship Round drought, the idea of McCarthy sticking around that long felt more like a comedy special than a contract negotiation.
With owner Jerry Jones calling the shots, everything remained a possibility, but Cowboys fans weren’t ready for a long McCarthy commitment, especially given Jones’ hesitancy to pay for an eventual coach firing.
Mike McCarthy Wanted Five More Years, Fans Couldn’t Stop Laughing
McCarthy thought he had leverage due to the timing of his negotiation and the success he’s had with quarterback Dak Prescott. The Cowboys’ head coach reportedly sought a five-year contract extension, but Jones shut that down, offering only three years instead.
Fans quickly criticized that request on social media.
“Again McCarthy seeking a 5yr extension was absolutely laughable,” one fan scoffed.
Again McCarthy seeking a 5yr extension was absolutely laughable https://t.co/l9zXKufO3G
— Erik (@ErikDonc11) February 2, 2025
Others piled on.
“No way this dude wanted 5 MORE YEARS,” they wrote. Much of the animosity stems from his lack of postseason success. Dallas won 12 games in three consecutive years. In two of them, the Cowboys in brutal Wild Card games to visiting teams. They found just one playoff win across five seasons.
No way this dude wanted 5 MORE YEARS 😭
— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) February 2, 2025
Some questioned why McCarthy didn’t take the three-year deal. “Why would McCarthy not take a three-year extension? It’s better than unemployment,” one fan joked.
Many pointed out the obvious: Jones was never handing him five years. “With that track record in Dallas, bro was not him. No way Jerry Jones was going to give him that,” a fan quipped.
Dallas finished 23rd in PFN’s Offense+ metric as Prescott went down midseason and Cooper Rush took over, with limited success. However, the team kept fighting, winning four games in five weeks to salvage what could have been a disastrous season.
McCarthy Sits Out 2025: What’s Next for the Former Cowboys Coach?
McCarthy is hitting the sidelines, for an entire season. The former Cowboys head coach will remain a free agent through 2025 after opting out of the New Orleans Saints’ vacancy, per NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero. With New Orleans being the last open HC job, McCarthy is officially sitting this one out.
Dallas, meanwhile, controversially turned to offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to fill McCarthy’s shoes. The promotion came with a narrow search for a head coach, and Schottenheimer wasn’t considered a serious candidate elsewhere. A strong portion of the fan base would have simply preferred McCarthy.
Now, his future is uncertain. A year off won’t boost his stock, but his résumé still holds weight. McCarthy owns a 174-112-2 career record, a Super Bowl ring (2010 Packers), and a .608 winning percentage – better than legends like Tom Landry, Bill Parcells, and Chuck Noll. Still, many question if his coaching style translates in today’s NFL.
In Dallas, he went 49-35 (.583 winning percentage) in the regular season but never delivered a deep playoff run. Before that, he spent 13 seasons in Green Bay (.618), where he faced criticism for not winning more with Aaron Rodgers.
Meanwhile, the Saints seem locked in on Philadelphia Eagles OC Kellen Moore, a former Cowboys coordinator who is expected to land the job after the Super Bowl (NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo).
For now, McCarthy waits. Maybe 2026 brings another shot, but sitting out a season is a tough sell in a league that’s always moving forward.