Mike McCarthy has coached his last game under contract: The pros and cons of bringing him back to Dallas Cowboys
Well, that's it. With the Dallas Cowboys' loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 18, Mike McCarthy is out of games under contract… at least for now. Jerry Jones suggested earlier in the week Dallas' decision wouldn't hinge on how the season finale went, which could imply the call has been made and it's only a […]
Well, that's it. With the Dallas Cowboys' loss to the Washington Commanders in Week 18, Mike McCarthy is out of games under contract… at least for now.
Jerry Jones suggested earlier in the week Dallas' decision wouldn't hinge on how the season finale went, which could imply the call has been made and it's only a matter of when we find out the direction they will take.
For now, here are the pros and cons to bringing back McCarthy for 2025 and beyond. Let's dive in.
The Pros
Good ol' fashioned continuity
The NFL is the ultimate "what have you done for me lately?" league but there's an argument to be made that continuity can pay off for those teams willing to exercise patience. Take a smaller sample size for example: This year, the Cowboys defense took some time getting going with Mike Zimmer's arrival at defensive coordinator because they had to learn a new scheme and he had to adapt to a room full of new players.
In other words, if the Cowboys move on from McCarthy, they're unlikely to reap any short-term benefits. Chances are with McCarthy leading the team, they have a better shot at a successful 2025 season than with somebody else getting the job.
That 2023 breakout offense
Who knows if we'll ever see such a run again from McCarthy's offense but the Cowboys were unstoppable in the second half of the 2023 regular season. We saw the best from Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb as both turned in All-Pro caliber years. Can McCarthy tap into that again?
If the answer is yes, which is highly questionable given how conservative he's been beyond that stretch, then Dallas should seriously consider bringing him back.
Players love McCarthy
Cowboys fans tend to disagree on just about everything, including the head coaching position. But the team's players are all on the same page: They're for Mike.
That goes from the stars like Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons, to rotational players and backups. If they're interested on a solid locker room to work with, that's gotta count for something.
The Zimmer factor
The Cowboys seem to like what defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has done in recent weeks. Ever since getting Micah Parsons back on the lineup, the pass rush is looking more dangerous than ever and young linebacker Marist Liufau has been balling out (DeMarvion Overshown too, before him). If Dallas wants him back, the best way to go about it is to keep the same staff together.
A new head coach could be happy to keep him around but ideally, you want him to build his own staff and do things his way.
The Cons
Lack of a gameday edge
When you look at the best coaches today, most of them provide a significant play-calling advantage on gameday. It's hard to say that about McCarthy in Dallas despite that brief 2023 streak described above. The run game has been wildly inconsistent, with the best version of it coming this year through Rico Dowdle at running back. Even now it lacks creativity when compared to the top rushing offenses around the NFL.
There are many HC candidates out there, headlined by Ben Johnson, that could provide a true gameday edge with creative play designs and aggressive play-calling.
Playoff woes
There's no denying the Cowboys have underachieved in the postseason with McCarthy at the wheel in large part because of play-calling and coaching problems. The front office has to ask itself how much of that has been on the head coach, how much on the execution, and how much on its roster building strategy.
Even one year removed from it, it's difficult to shake off the loss to the Green Bay Packers in a game in which they entered as large favorites. In previous playoff showdowns, penalties have been a big issue, which also tend to come down to coaching.
Extension length
For those unaware, NFL coaches get fully guaranteed deals, unlike players. It seems to me that the Cowboys aren't particularly interested in paying money to a coach not working for them. That's why Jason Garrett and now McCarthy after him coached out their deals instead of being fired halfway through them.
That being said, if the Cowboys extend McCarthy, does it mean you're tying yourself to him for another four or five years? That's a big con but the Cowboys could solve it by doing things differently.
Who knows what direction the Cowboys will go in but hopefully, it doesn't take them long to announce what they're doing. The coaching cycle moves fast and it's best to be ahead of the curve instead of working from behind the eight ball.
