Jerry Jones Reveals If Other Candidates Will Impact Mike McCarthy Decision
01/03/2025 02:09 PM
When the Dallas Cowboys entered the 2024 season, Jerry Jones made it very clear that head coach Mike McCarthy would be evaluated on what he did in the final year of his contract.
McCarthy went into this season without a contract extension following last season's embarrassing playoff loss, and it was evident that he would need to produce in order to stay around.
The Cowboys entered the year with hopes of competing for the NFC title, but injuries completely derailed their season and stopped them from gaining any sort of momentum toward a playoff push.
Despite the season eventually turning into a lost cause, McCarthy appears to have won over the locker room with several players advocating for his return.
The Cowboys may not be going to the playoffs this season, but McCarthy can still finish with an 8-9 record - a pretty good end considering the turmoil the team has dealt with this year.
Team owner Jerry Jones says that the Cowboys will evaluate all options if they choose to go in a different direction at head coach, but that the current crop of candidates won't impact that decision.
"Not a lot. That is a big key. But in this particular case, that is not a big factor," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan Thursday when asked if the candidates on the market would impact the choice of whether to keep McCarthy.
The Cowboys don't need to fire McCarthy to get rid of him as his contract expires at the end of the season. They can simply allow him to leave after the year is over and work on hiring a new coach. Alternatively, if he stays, he'll be signed to a new contract with different terms.
The Cowboys will close the season on Sunday afternoon at home against their rivals, the Washington Commanders. Washington already has a playoff spot wrapped up, and they can't win the division after the Eagles clinched it last week. We'll see if they choose to rest important players, or if they look to finish the season strong before heading into Wild Card weekend.
We'll also see if Sunday's game is McCarthy's last on the sideline for the Cowboys.
Related: Jerry Jones Makes Cryptic Comment About Jon Gruden Amid Coaching Rumors
