For most of the past year, the dynamic between the Cowboys and coach Mike McCarthy has been that of merciful employer granting the indulgence of one more season to a lame-duck leader who was predetermined to be axed when his contract was up after 2024. But now, maybe, things have turned.
Maybe it’s McCarthy who, despite the Cowboys’ underwhelming 7-8 record, holds some power over the team’s front office. That’s because rumors have begun to rumble that if the Cowboys let McCarthy walk, he will have other suitors on the coaching market.
While most of the top coaches expected to be available in the offseason are coordinators, maybe the most sought-after option is former Titans coach Mike Vrabel. After him, there are not very many experienced coaches expected to be on the market in the offseason, especially with Bill Belichick having taken the job at North Carolina.
Already, we can say for sure that New Orleans, the Jets and Chicago will be looking for a coach. Jacksonville is almost a sure thing, and some teams willing to make a change after one year–the Patriots, Raiders and Titans–could be added to that mix. And there may be some established coaches who are KO’d after disappointing years, like Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland, Mike McDaniel in Miami, or Brian Daboll of the Giants.
And from veteran USA Today writer Jarrett Bell comes this notion: Those teams could come after McCarthy as their next coach. Bell had a stern warning for the Cowboys about McCarthy’s future.
Mike McCarthy Proactive About New Jobs?
Bell pointed out that McCarthy hired well-respected agent Don Yee last April, which could put McCarthy in the arena for new jobs if the Cowboys don’t come through with an extension. Bell wrote, “What if McCarthy, with his contract up, decides that he’s had enough of the intense scrutiny that comes with coaching arguably the most high-profile team in the NFL?
“With his experience, a resume that includes a Super Bowl victory with the Packers and three straight 12-win campaigns with the Cowboys, and a track record for bringing out the best in quarterbacks, McCarthy could be a hot item on the open market.”
Cowboys Under Pressure
The pressure has been rising in recent weeks to Jerry Jones and the Cowboys to give McCarthy an extension, especially as the injury-ravaged team has managed to rally together and play better than the sum of its parts. The Cowboys have won four of the last five games, which would be five straight if not for a fumbled punt late in a loss to the Bengals.
Said Jones about the situation this week on Dallas radio (via ESPN):
“We’re just talking about what is positive right now. We started the conversation talking about how good a job I think with the circumstances that we’ve been dealing with, how good a job that the coaching staff is doing. It’s led by Mike McCarthy. And that’s what we’re doing. I’m saying just what I’m saying. I’m very impressed with how this team and how it’s playing, and the level of tenacity, and I’m impressed with the fact we’ve got a lot of young players getting a lot of experience out there. The future looks bright there with those players.”
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