The Dallas Cowboys got back in the win column on Sunday to improve to 6-8. Normally, a team that had Super Bowl aspirations coming into the year is stumbling below .500 well into December would spell doom for that head coach.
For a while this season, it seemed that Mike McCarthy was a dead-man walking. The team was noncompetitive in multiple games at AT&T Stadium and that was before injuries started piling up. The defense was arguably the greater issue during that stretch, but McCarthy's offense lacked innovation.
In recent weeks, though, the tone about McCarthy has changed. That might have something to do with the team not quitting amid a season that has delivered countless body blows. Hall of Fame quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Tom Brady also went out of their way to laud McCarthy while calling games for ESPN and FOX, respectively.
Most notably, Jerry Jones has dropped hints here and there that he's strongly considering renewing McCarthy's contract, which expires after the season. Jones continued beating to that drum during his weekly Tuesday appearance on 105.3 The Fan.
It sure sounds like Jerry Jones wants Mike McCarthy back as the Cowboys' head coach
"In a way, I do," Jones said when asked if McCarthy and Mike Zimmer's futures are tied together. "I think you’re beginning to see some of the best but maybe the best is still ahead of us. Mike has shown that his team can handle adversity. I give them both high grades this year."
We all know Jones doesn't have a problem throwing coaches and players under the bus. That he thinks McCarthy and Zimmer deserve "high grades" is perhaps the biggest indicator yet that he wants to run it back in 2025.
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Talk of McCarthy losing his job reached a boiling point after the Cowboys dropped to 3-7 after losing to the Texans on Monday Night Football. With Dak Prescott and several other high-profile players out injured, it would have been easy for Dallas to give up on the season.
The Cowboys are 3-1 in the four games since. They could easily be 4-0 if not for the fumbled block punt late against the Bengals. That is all with Cooper Rush running the offense and losing more players to injuries along the way, including defensive stars DeMarvion Overshown and Trevon Diggs.
It is objectively impressive. Many teams would fold like a tent after falling four games under .500 and losing their starting quarterback and other important players for the season. That Dallas is still fighting tooth and nail every week is a testament to good coaching.
Many Cowboys fans have already made up their mind about McCarthy. They feel this team has reached its ceiling with the 61-year-old at the helm. While that might be true, do you really trust Jerry and Stephen to higher someone better?
Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons have both stated publicly they want McCarthy to get another season. Anything can happen with Jerry calling the shots, but it feels increasingly likely that McCarthy - and Zimmer - will be back in 2025.