No coaching position in the NFL is under more pressure heading into the upcoming season than Mike McCarthy’s with the Dallas Cowboys. Reportedly, McCarthy wouldn’t have accepted the job if he had known how chaotic the front office would become by his fifth year.
McCarthy has a 42-25 regular-season record with the Cowboys. However, his postseason performance is less impressive, with a 1-3 record, and the team hasn’t progressed beyond the Divisional Round. In January, the Cowboys were upset at home in the Wild Card round by the Green Bay Packers, the youngest team in the league.
The Dallas Cowboys are procrastinating
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones supported McCarthy when many believed it was time to part ways and bring in Bill Belichick. Instead, Jones is allowing McCarthy to complete the final year of his contract. This approach mirrors the situation with quarterback Dak Prescott, who, like fellow stars CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons, has yet to secure a new deal this offseason and will likely play out his current contract with Dallas.
Mike McCarthy was ‘fed up’ this summer
According to Tyler Dunne of Go Long, McCarthy grew increasingly frustrated this summer with how the Cowboys’ offseason was unfolding. While he was under pressure, the team allowed key players to leave in free agency and missed out on signing free agents in the initial wave. Instead, the Cowboys are committed to building through the draft, leaving McCarthy’s hopes pinned on the success of their rookies.
It’s clear the Cowboys are initiating a rebuild this season. They could have extended contracts for their core players and restructured their 2024 finances to bring in additional talent to compete with the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers. McCarthy understands the difficult position he’s in.
If McCarthy knew what he knows now
According to a recent update from Dunne, Mike McCarthy is having second thoughts about accepting the Cowboys head coaching position after experiencing the way the front office operates:
A source close to the Cowboys revealed that McCarthy might not have taken the job if he had known what he was getting into.
My immediate reaction was, “Hasn’t Mike paid attention to what previous Cowboys coaches have gone through?” Since Bill Parcells’ departure in 2007, it’s clear that the owner is intent on hiring coaches he can control. Jerry Jones seems more willing to lose on his own terms than win on someone else’s. It felt insincere when Parcells turned the team around.
As the source noted, it’s only natural for people to focus on the positives in a situation.
McCarthy now understands the direction the team is heading. There’s a reason why sports bettors are lowering their expectations for the Cowboys’ win total this season.
The Captain sank the ship back in March.
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