The Dallas Cowboys will take on the 2025 NFL season with a new head coach leading the team. Mike McCarthy will not return for a sixth season with the NFC East team.
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NFL insider Tom Pelissero reported the news Monday afternoon, one day before the Cowboys' exclusive negotiating window with McCarthy ended. Veteran reporter Jane Slater then provided more context by explaining how the coach and the Cowboys could not reach an agreement.
"Let's not assume that this was Jerry (Jones) telling Mike McCarthy that he was ready to move on," Slater said on NFL Network. "...There was an issue with the contract lengths. As this information is coming in, I am talking to some of the staff that are now no longer going to be a part of the Cowboys.
"And it was Mike McCarthy who reached out to some of them this morning and said essentially not being able to agree on that contract length put everybody at a disadvantage."
Contract length was a sticking point. Sounds like the marriage between these two had some love but ultimately some hurt feelings that I’m not sure could have been resolved based on conversations I’ve had. Things are always unique in Dallas but not everyone has appetite for it. pic.twitter.com/YGK2eIWZ5E
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) January 13, 2025
With the Cowboys and McCarthy being unable to come to terms on a contract extension, the Super Bowl-winning coach's tenure will end with a 49-35 record. This includes a 1-3 record in the playoffs and two seasons where the Cowboys did not have quarterback Dak Prescott under center due to injury.
The best seasons of McCarthy's tenure were 2021-23. The Cowboys went 12-5 all three seasons while reaching the playoffs. They had a top-five offense that included a franchise record-setting season for wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. He posted 135 receptions for 1,749 yards and 14 total touchdowns in 2023.
Where will McCarthy head next? That answer is unclear, but he will have interest. The Bears already requested permission to interview him, but the Cowboys denied this request. It remains likely that he will sit down with his former rival. Additionally, NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Saints will have an interest in McCarthy.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys will try to find a head coach who can get them back to the Promised Land. Defensive standout Micah Parsons has already predicted that the team will hold the Lombardi Trophy up at the end of the season.
The Cowboys have 13 playoff appearances since their last Super Bowl win (1995). The team has not advanced beyond the divisional round in any of these appearances despite having some packed rosters.
