Primary Factor for Mike McCarthy's Cowboys Departure Was Looking Out for His Staff

McCarthy and the Cowboys couldn't agree on a contract.

Dallas Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy walks on the sidelines during a game. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys split up on Monday after five seasons together, as the two parties couldn't agree to a contract extension.

It's becoming clear that the reason McCarthy left the Cowboys stems from disagreements that arose during negotiations on a potential new deal. NFL Network's Jane Slater added more context on Monday, sharing that she's spoken with some of McCarthy's staff who explained that McCarthy and the Cowboys not agreeing on a contract length put his staffers at a "disadvantage" as they looked to plan their futures.

"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, so he was looking out for some of his staffers," Slater said.

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

Now the Cowboys will look for a replacement while McCarthy checks out his options for the future. The Cowboys blocked McCarthy from interviewing with the Bears for their head coaching vacancy earlier this month, but now McCarthy is free to meet with them and any other team of his choosing for a shot at his third head coaching stint in the NFL.

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