Dallas needs a new head coach.
On Monday, the Dallas Cowboys parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy after five years in the hot seat.
While it was not a surprise to see McCarthy go, the protracted nature of his departure laid bare the fundamental issues within the leadership of the franchise.
The Cowboys early season was a disaster, and they were 3-7 before finally ending a five-game losing run in Week 12.
Their playoff hopes were extinguished before they played their Week 16 game against the Buccaneers, as the season ended in disappointment.
The path forward
You would think that Jerry Jones had plenty of time to discuss the future with Mike McCarthy, review what went wrong and decide how to rectify the glaring missteps of the season.
The Cowboys needed to finish 2024 with both parties clear on the next steps, whichever direction they were going.
Instead, while other teams were being decisive in making their firings and beginning recruitment, this was when Owner and General Manager Jones decided to evaluate the season with McCarthy.
It took a full eight days after the final game of the season for McCarthy to leave the Cowboys.
See how I chose to use the word ‘leave’ and not ‘fired’. The Dallas Cowboys did not fire Mike McCarthy.
Picking apart the statements from Jones and the reports from NFL insiders, it seems clear to me that Jones tried to get McCarthy to come back on a short-term contract and McCarthy turned him down.
I hope that McCarthy got to end this on his own terms. McCarthy is not a bad guy, and he is not a bad coach. His fatal flaw was that he could not get over the line in the big moments in the playoffs.
Three 12-win seasons, two divisional titles and a single playoff win have been added to McCarthy’s CV from his time in Dallas. He will not have a problem finding another head coaching job in the NFL, despite Jones making it exceedingly difficult.
Why do you have to be so cruel?
I am baffled how a boss can treat an employee with such distain and disrespect.
In dawdling to this point Jones has not only made it more difficult for McCarthy to get another job, but also put the Cowboys behind every other team in recruiting a head coach.
Hell, the New England Patriots already hired Mike Vrabel before McCarthy had gone. The Cowboys can not speak to the coveted Detroit Lions coordinators Aaron Glen and Ben Johnson until after the Super Bowl. They will not be waiting around to speak to Jerry.
At best this approach to McCarthy leaving is mismanagement on a gross-negligent scale. At worst this is just spiteful and mean from an owner that lost a step over 20 years ago.
Who is next?
Now we are down to candidates that have a tie to the Cowboys. Former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, former tight end Jason Witten and the potential circus of Deion Sanders.
Whoever the Cowboys go with is coming into a demanding situation. While the Cowboys have stars to build around the rest of the roster is lean. Let us be honest, the owner does not care about that.
Jerry has achieved his most important goal. Keeping the Dallas Cowboys at the top of the NFL news cycle.
