NFL Insider Sums Up The Hot Seat Situation With Mike McCarthy
Yesterday at 04:49 PM
The Dallas Cowboys coaching situation for next season remains very unclear.
Mike McCarthy's contract expires at the end of the 2024 season and the Cowboys haven't been in a rush to extend it. They've been wanting to see how he does this year and so far, he hasn't lived up to expectations since the team is 5-7.
With that in mind, ESPN's Dan Graziano weighed in on McCarthy's situation and thinks it will be difficult for McCarthy to keep his job unless they make the playoffs and go on a run.
"The Cowboys entered Sunday with a 1.4% chance of making the playoffs, according to ESPN's Football Power Index, so it's an extreme long shot. And even if the Cowboys pull off that miracle, McCarthy likely still will have to make a bit of a playoff run to keep his job. The Cowboys fired Jason Garrett in 2020 because he wasn't able to get them over the hump of playoff success. McCarthy hasn't done it, either. And unless something incredibly bizarre happens over the remainder of this season, the Cowboys will likely move on," Graziano writes.
The Cowboys didn't extend McCarthy after three straight 12-win seasons because they wanted to see if he could lead them to playoff success. They've got into the playoffs in each of his first three seasons but never played beyond the NFC divisional round.
They've won two in a row to get to 5-7 but they still have to run the gauntlet if they want to make the playoffs. They finish the season with games against the Cincinnati Bengals, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders.
It's a tough stretch of games, especially since the Cowboys won't have the services of starting quarterback Dak Prescott.
Kickoff for Bengals-Cowboys will be next Monday at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Related: 3 Coaches Cowboys Could Hire If Mike McCarthy Is Fired
