Jerry Jones Reveals: Why Didn't Cowboys Fire Coach Mike McCarthy?
As time wound down in the fourth quarter of the Dallas Cowboys' playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers, the anger and frustration was there for all to see. Dak Prescott was blamed, as was coach Mike McCarthy, for yet another season of playoff failure.
In bringing Mike McCarthy back for a lame-duck season in 2024 - he'll be coaching on the final year of his contract - Jones has already publicly stated that he is "100 percent supportive" of his head coach.
On Tuesday at the Senior Bowl - in between some odd remarks also supporting the idea of eventually hiring Bill Belichick to replace McCarthy - Jones explained his reasoning in keeping McCarthy.
Or, to put a finer point on it, why he didn't fire him.
“Overwhelmingly I thought the best decision to have the continuity that Mike brings,” Jones said. “When I look at the job he's done over the last four years, I can point to some real positives, not the least of which are his 12-win seasons. I think we certainly have made improvement in areas.''
That is certainy true. Jones also cited the improvement in the play of Dak Prescott, who this year is an NFL MVP finalist.
"I think we can look forward to that improvement,'' Jones said, adding, "there's more there to get (from Dak) and the evidence points to that. So, with more to get there, more pluses, that impacts a lot of the other things we're doing right now with our decisions we're making.
"So it all made sense to have him back.”
Jerry's reasons for bringing McCarthy back are understandable. Three consecutive 12-win seasons are tough to come by in the NFL. And if continuity matters? Again, understandable.
Now, attention turns to the offseason and while Jerry also stated that the team will be "all-in" this offseason, whether that means getting contracts done for Prescott and CeeDee Lamb or going hard in free agency, is unknown.
Either way, the upcoming offseason for Jerry and the Cowboys is going to be a defining one. They have the continuity that Jones wanted in McCarthy being around for another season and have the roster to again be a contender in the playoffs.
And if not? Jerry can hold some more Bill Belichick press conferences, we suppose.
