It is the third official day of the offseason for the Dallas Cowboys and it feels like the 500th.
The 2024 campaign came to a merciful end on Sunday afternoon for Dallas, and in the time since they have seen many of their fellow NFL teams begin the process of reconstructing their organizations in the hopes of not suffering a similar fate in the future. The Cowboys have not so far.
The Cowboys entered Sunday afternoon’s game having known for two weeks that they were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. Beyond that they knew for almost an entire calendar year that the year in question was the final one on Mike McCarthy’s current contract. It stood to reason that they had their mind made up on him, Jerry Jones even said so during a radio appearance on the Friday before as he noted at the time that the “hay is in the barn” relative to the staff.
Following the game Jerry noted that he had not made a decision on Mike McCarthy. One day later, Monday to be clear, the Chicago Bears requested to interview him for their head coach vacancy. It took over 24 hours for the Cowboys to respond, but they did so on Tuesday evening by declining the request. This suggests, although does not prove, that they may be leaning towards retaining McCarthy.
Interestingly, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini injected a new sort of variable into this discussion in an appearance on Pardon My Take as she noted that the Cowboys have been doing head coach work “behind the scenes” in recent weeks.
“I think the chances of him staying in Dallas are fair, like I think that could happen. Look I know that they did a little bit of work on some head coaches, behind the scenes, over the last few weeks. So it wouldn’t shock me if they also move on.” “I just don’t like how they’re going about their business. How, they’re just kind of hanging him out to dry right now, trying to figure out what he’s going to do next. This entire year was really hard if you’re him. Of not knowing what’s going to be next.” “Look I think if Mike McCarthy does wind up moving on or Dallas, Jerry says yea we’re going to go in a different direction... I 100% think he has a good shot at getting that Chicago Bears job.”
To be perfectly clear, it makes full and total sense that the Cowboys would be exploring their options. As noted it has been well-known that McCarthy’s contract is set to expire.
It also makes sense that Dallas would be doing this work “behind the scenes” so as not to ruffle any feathers. Ultimately though, this whole saga is representative of a group that cannot make up their mind or is truly this indecisive. Another world could exist where they pursued a candidate who they uncovered, and feel like it might not be a situation that goes the way they want which has led to this weird sort of purgatory.
Whatever the case this is the first report from an insider that Dallas has done legitimate “work” on a potential new head coach.
We will see what ultimately comes of that.