Week 18 has all but arrived and the Dallas Cowboys still have not informed Mike McCarthy of the direction of the franchise.
Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Friday that the outcome of Sunday's finale against the Commanders won't impact his decision on the future of the coaching staff. That would suggest the Joneses have already come to a decision.
So why not just announce it? It's in the best interest of everyone involved to remove the elephant in the room at the earliest convenience.
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The New York Jets have already completed interviews with Ron Rivera and Mike Vrabel, so the organization risks falling behind the eight ball by dragging his out. Having said that, Rivera nor Vrabel sit atop Cowboys fans' wishlist of potential McCarthy replacements.
There is a prohibitive favorite in that regard and the Chicago Bears' dysfunction may just allow him to fall right into Dallas' lap.
The Bears' dysfunction could help Cowboys hire Ben Johnson to replace Mike McCarthy
It's been reported at various points this season that the Bears job would pique Johnson's interest, should he choose to leave the Detroit Lions. Johnson seems like the perfect hire to rescue Chicago from the dreadful Matt Eberflus era and maximize the star potential of 2023 No. 1 overall pick Caleb Williams.
According to a recent scoop from NFL insider Mike Florio, though, the Bears' front office might not see it that way.
"That dynamic of GM and coach is critical," Florio told 670 The Score in Chicago. "Is Ryan Poles comfortable bringing a guy in who might try to take over ... might try to undermine Ryan Poles? Those are things that aren't conducive to winning but they are very real factors that can influence which way a decision goes."
"If I'm looking at two candidates, and one guy is going to undermine me (Johnson) and the other guy is going to basically respect me and defer to me, I might be more inclined for my own purposes to go with that guy even if it's better for the team to go with the other."
That is music to Cowboys fans' ears. It obviously don't confirm that Poles will prioritize his own influence over personnel decisions, but Florio wouldn't float this scenario haphazardly. It also isn't above the Bears to let ego stand in the way of making the right hire.
If you're reading this, Ryan Poles, please steer your franchise away from Johnson. Save Vrabel from taking the Jets' job. If you prefer Mike McCarthy, be our guest. We'll drive him to the airport. Anything to increase Dallas' odds of hiring Johnson.
Have you noticed much fun the Lions have on offense? Johnson has turned a former castaway in Jared Goff into an MVP candidate. Imagine what he can do with Dak Prescott, who's better than Goff and finished second in MVP voting last year in McCarthy's outdated offense.
The Lions' have a substantial scheme advantage every week. While Johnson's head coaching intangibles remain to be seen, Detroit's roster seems to love playing for him. His offensive genius is exactly what the Cowboys need to exorcise their January demons.
We'll see if the Joneses allow their own egos to stand in the way of interviewing Johnson, but surely they are smart enough to realize what hiring him would mean for the direction of the franchise.
The Bears might just let it happen.