The Dallas Cowboys and Mike McCarthy mutually agreed to part ways on Monday after a truly needless and torturous seven-day wait. Even though Jerry Jones praised McCarthy at every turn both during and after the season, it never felt like he was committed to McCarthy.
While Jones and McCarthy discussed moving forward together, the two sides ultimately couldn't agree to a new contract. McCarthy likely fancied the security of a longer-term deal for him and his staff, while Jones was hell-bent on offering nothing more than two years.
McCarthy could land a new job as soon as this hiring cycle. He interviewed with the Bears on Wednesday and is also a target for the Saints' opening.
Cowboys fans by and large don't fault McCarthy for leaving. They're not necessarily sad to see him go, but why would McCarthy want to continue operating with one arm tied behind his back while on a short-term deal? It'd be hard for any head coach to overcome those circumstances.
Well, a new report from Jane Slater of NFL Network all but confirms why McCarthy is seeking greener pastures.
Cowboys' absurd succession plan confirms why Mike McCarthy left
Per Slater, the Cowboys wanted to hire former tight end Jason Witten, the franchise's all-time leader in receiving yards, as an understudy with the goal of having him succeed McCarthy down the line.
"It’s been my understanding that Jerry (Jones) has talked to (Witten) in recent weeks and I do believe that he was part of a plan that Jerry initially had when he was going to bring back Mike McCarthy," Slater said. "I think the plan there was to make him an heir apparent of sorts."
If that is the case, can you really blame McCarthy for leaving? He spent the last two offseasons worrying about his job security after playoff losses. He had an accomplished and respected coach in Dan Quinn breathing down his neck as a potential successor.
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Working in conjunction with an intrusive owner is hard enough, but McCarthy also would've made significantly less than coaches like Sean Payton, who has an identical resume. Already abnormal circumstances, Jones wanted to pile on by having McCarthy operate with his eventual successor tied to his hip.
It is important to note that Witten lacks NFL and collegiate coaching experience. He's won back-to-back state titles with Liberty Christian, a private high school in Texas. While a good start to his coaching career, Witten is several years away from being NFL head coach material.
McCarthy has been a head coach in the league for 18 years and has a Super Bowl ring and eight division titles to boot. He's coached in some capacity for 24 years. Those credentials are nothing to sneeze at and would explain why McCarthy is already garnering HC interest.
How could it not offend McCarthy that Dallas wanted an unproven coach in Witten waiting in the wings to take over when he fails? We don't blame McCarthy one bit for rejecting the Cowboys' proposal.
This was one insult too many for the Super Bowl champ.