ARLINGTON, Texas — After a lot of uncertaintya decision was made in Dallas. The Cowboys are letting go of head coach Mike McCarthy after five seasons (2020-2024) according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Jonathan Jones. The parties could not agree on the length of the contract and McCarthy will pursue other opportunities, according to NFL Media.
McCarthy’s 49-34 record 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 a series of four. season spanning from 1992 to 1995. This was 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.
| WL regular season | 6-10 (T-21) | 36-15 (2nd) | 7-10 (21) |
| WL in the playoffs | N / A | 1-3 (14th) | N / A |
| PPG | 24.7 (17th) | 29.5 (1st) | 20.3 (21st) |
| Total YPG | 371.8 (14th) | 377.8 (4th) | 327.5 (17th) |
| Red Zone TD Pct | 50% (T-29) | 63% (2nd) | 46% (31st) |
| Turnover | 26 (27th) | 59 (6th) | 28 (28th) |
| PPG authorized | 29.6 (28th) | 19.9 (5th) | 27.5 (31st) |
| Takeaways | 22 (9th) | 93 (1st) | 23 (12th) |
| Points differential | -78 (25th) | +491 (2nd) | -118 (26th) |
| Turnover margin | -3 (21st) | 34 (1st) | -6 (T-23) |
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.