Cowboys and Mike McCarthy unable to reach agreement as head coach leaves after five seasons in Dallas

ARLINGTON, Texas — After a lot of uncertaintya decision was made in Dallas. The Cowboys have parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy after five seasons (2020-2024). Dallas, meanwhile, is working quickly to replace its head coach, CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones reports.

Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones released a statement Monday following McCarthy’s departure, complimenting his former head coach and outlining the team’s next steps.

“Throughout Mike McCarthy’s tenure here, including over the last few weeks, I have been very complimentary of the work he has done. This applies to our record over this period, as a unit and our team culture, Mike’s qualifications and track record of success, and on a personal level, as a great human being, I have great respect for Mike, and he has led the team to through some very unique and difficult times during his tenure.

“Over the past week, Mike and I have had the opportunity to conduct a joint review of all aspects of the past season, our players and our staff, and have also spent considerable time discussing the path forward for the team These discussions were in depth and received a However, before we got to the point of contract negotiations, it became clear that it would be best for each of us to head in a different direction. thanks Mike and wishes him and his wife Jessica. and their family are the best. They have been a wonderful part of our community here.

“We will immediately begin a search process to hire the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.”

McCarthy’s record of 49-34 since becoming Dallas’ head coach in 2020 is tied for eighth in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings, and the 2021 team’s three straight 12-win seasons to 2023 were Dallas’ first in four seasons. spanning from 1992 to 1995. That’s when the team won three Super Bowls in four seasons. Under McCarthy, the Cowboys became the first team since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger to win at least 12 games three years in a row and fail to appear in a conference championship game. It was for this reason that McCarthy’s future was uncertain. In the two years the Cowboys missed the playoffs under McCarthy, starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffered season-ending injuries: a fractured ankle (2020) and a torn hamstring (2024).

After Dallas’ 23-19 home loss to the Washington Commanders brought the team’s record to 7-10 after dealing with numerous injuries, McCarthy stated his desire to stay with the Cowboys, his contract initial coach with the team set to expire on January 14. Prescott too told CBS Sports in a one-on-one interview that he would go to battle against owner and general manager Jerry Jones on McCarthy’s behalf.

“Absolutely. I’ve invested a lot here, and the Cowboys have invested a lot in me,” McCarthy said postgame after Week 18 when asked if staying with the Cowboys was his main preference. “And then there’s a personal side to all of these decisions. They’re all going in the right direction. … They’re all positive attributes that you take into account. Absolutely, I’m a builder. I believe in building programs. I believe in developing young players. So at the end of the day it’s about winning and you have to have those things in place to get this thing to where it needs to be.

Jones clearly He disagrees with McCarthy’s assessment that the two men built a “very good foundation” together in Dallas, which is why McCarthy is now on the open market.