After three days of heavy speculation about his future, Mike McCarthy will have another opportunity to lead the
Dallas Cowboys to a deep playoff run, capping nearly three decades of unsuccessful attempts.
Following a surprising 48-32 wild-card loss to Green Bay, owner and general manager Jerry Jones announced on
Wednesday night that McCarthy will return for a fifth season.
Since the 14-team system was implemented in 2020, the Cowboys became the first club ranked second to lose to the
final team to qualify. In the last two weeks, Dallas dominated the NFC East and earned the opportunity to host at
least two postseason games.
McCarthy’s club, on the other hand, is the first after three straight 12-win postseason seasons to miss out on a
conference title game.
“With multiple allusions to the heartbreak of the playoff defeat, there is tremendous benefit to continuing the team’s
progress under Mike’s leadership as our head coach,” Jones stated in a statement. “Mike has the best regular-season
winning percentage of any Cowboys head coach, and we’re going to commit to working with him to
to converting that into accomplishing our postseason objectives.
McCarthy was brought on board to help Dallas advance past the divisional stage for the first time since the legendary
team’s final five Super Bowl victories, which occurred in 1995.
In his more than twelve seasons as the Packers’ coach, the sixty-year-old coach made it to the NFC championship
game three more times and won a Super Bowl with Green Bay thirteen years ago.
In the middle of Green Bay’s second straight losing season in 2018, McCarthy was let go. Before Jones hired him in
2019, he had retired from football. His record with Dallas is 42-25 and overall 167-102-2.
McCarthy has one more year to live.
according to his contract. An extension was not mentioned in Jones’ statement.
Suggested
With one year remaining on his $160 million, four-year contract, quarterback Dak Prescott struggled in the first half,
leading Dallas to a 27-0 deficit. In quarterback Jordan Love’s postseason debut, the Packers were never slowed by a
top-five defensive squad.
Under McCarthy, Dallas fell to 1-3 in the playoffs and gave up the most points in the team’s postseason history.
Prescott’s postseason record is 2–5.
“We’re going to begin the process of reviewing and making decisions about everything that affects our roster and
team,” stated Jones. “Although at this time we won’t be discussing individual players, extensions, or free agents, it
deserves our careful attention, which it will receive.”
McCarthy has had the Cowboys lose two of their three postseason games at home, where they had won 16 straight
regular-season games prior to the Green Bay setback.
On wild-card weekend, Dallas was the only club to lose both times at home. At AT&T Stadium, San Francisco
defeated the Cowboys to conclude their 2021 campaign.
McCarthy’s recent completion of his first season as Prescott’s play-caller—Prescott led the NFL with 36 touchdown
throws and completed a career-high 69.5% of his passes—was one element that worked in his favor.
Throughout the season, Jones expressed great admiration for both his coach and quarterback, and he might be
interested in observing how their newfound bond develops.
“Not just coach McCarthy, but everyone here shares our loss on Sunday. Our athletes. Our mentors. our main
reception area. Personally, said Jones. “We observe and assess coach McCarthy through a holistic lens. Despite the
fact that our playoff record and the outcome on Sunday disappointed us all, I fully support him in his role as our
head coach.
and capacity to fulfill our objectives.
Dan Quinn, the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, could leave for a head coaching position. Although the Dallas
defense has been led by the former Atlanta coach for three seasons, its performance against the Packers may have
been the lowest since Quinn assumed the position.
