After talks on a brand new deal did not end in an settlement, Mike McCarthy is about to depart the Cowboys. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports Dallas and the previous Tremendous Bowl winner will go their separate methods this offseason. A staff announcement has since confirmed the information.
Several signs have pointed throughout the year to McCarthy remaining in Dallas despite the fact he spent the season on an expiring contract. He and owner Jerry Jones communicated with one another as soon as the marketing campaign ended, some extent at which the Bears and Saints emerged as groups which might be within the occasion McCarthy turned a free agent. Tuesday night time looms because the expiration date of his present pact, though Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport notes he is free to speak with teams immediately.
A report from final week said McCarthy and the Cowboys have been set to begin negotiating the phrases of a brand new contract. A window of alternative due to this fact existed for the events to achieve an settlement earlier than tomorrow’s deadline, however that may now not be the case. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported earlier on Monday there had not, actually, been substantive talks on a brand new contract up so far. Now, this newest replace on the state of affairs confirms Dallas will likely be out there for a brand new head coach after McCarthy held the position for 5 seasons.
The primary 12 months of that tenure produced a 6-10 season, however McCarthy managed to ship sustained regular-season success after that time. The 61-year-old helped lead Dallas to a 12-5 document yearly from 2021-23. This previous marketing campaign, a Cowboys roster which misplaced a number of key gamers within the offseason was hit laborious by accidents. Dallas fell out of playoff competition early, though a turnaround late within the 12 months appeared to assist McCarthy’s inventory.
In fact, the veteran’s tenure in Dallas will finest be remembered for his playoff outings. Of the 4 postseason video games McCarthy coached with the Cowboys, the staff solely ended up successful one. Jones cited final 12 months’s house wild-card defeat in opposition to the Packers as a predominant cause why he made the choice to retain McCarthy with out providing him an extension. After making it clear no in-season firing would happen (as was the case when his Inexperienced Bay tenure ended), questions have been raised about how negotiations would proceed.
As Pelissero and CBS Sports’ Jonathan Jones note, one of many predominant sticking factors between Jones and McCarthy was the size of a possible new contract. Given the previous’s hesitance to make a brand new dedication final offseason, it might of come as one thing of a shock if a long-term provide has been revamped the weekend. Because the latter prepares to hunt out his market, in the meantime, his assistants are additionally set to grow to be free brokers.
The Bears requested permission to interview McCarthy final week, when his Dallas future remained unsure. The Cowboys blocked it, a transfer which has now confirmed to be a moot level. Chicago has carried out a wide-ranging search with curiosity being proven in NFL and faculty staffers. Longtime Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll — who’s now joined by McCarthy as a 2025 candidate with a prolonged resume and a Tremendous Bowl title — already interviewed with the Bears. It will likely be fascinating to see if McCarthy does the identical.
It was additionally discovered final week that the Saints could be a team to watch within the occasion McCarthy reached the market. Since that’s now the case, New Orleans will likely be free to arrange an interview. Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is seen as the highest candidate for the job at this level, however a lot might change on that entrance over the approaching days and weeks.
Former DC Dan Quinn might have represented a candidate to take over from McCarthy had a change been made final 12 months. Quinn took the Commanders’ teaching gig, nevertheless, leaving Dallas in want of a unique defensive coordinator. Mike Zimmer was introduced in after beforehand main the staff’s protection over a seven-year interval. The previous Vikings head coach has expressed a need to land one other HC gig, and will probably be fascinating to see if Jones considers selling him to the position. In the meantime, Fox Sports’ Jordan Schultz reports Invoice Belichick would have had curiosity in Dallas’ opening had it existed earlier than his resolution to take cost of North Carolina. He provides that feeling seemingly would have been mutual, however now the Cowboys might want to transfer in one other course.
McCarthy sports activities an all-time successful proportion of .608, making him some of the completed staffers out there for the 2025 hiring cycle. He’s a considerably late addition to the checklist of choices for the winter, however with the Patriots representing the one staff to make a head teaching rent thus far he might have a number of suitors within the close to future.
