The Dallas Cowboys do so many things wrong, but they are the kings of generating content. Priorities, right?
That can probably explain why they are prepared to keep Mike McCarthy in limbo until the last-possible minute. Just like they dragged out Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb's contract extensions last offseason.
Assuming the Cowboys drag their feet, they will risk whomever their top replacement option is getting chosen by someone else. It would also be a major disservice to McCarthy, as it would inhibit him from interviewing for openings that could get filled quickly.
The Joneses are clearly playing this decision close to the vest. They haven't leaked anything to the media about which way they are leaning. Everything up until this point, including from local and national insiders, has been pure speculation.
While that remains the case, NFL Media insiders Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero dropped a major breadcrumb about the ongoing melodrama - one that Cowboys fans are going to love.
Latest update on Mike McCarthy's future is music to Cowboys fans' ears
Mike McCarthy’s contract is set to expire Jan. 14. That gives the #Cowboys an exclusive negotiating window — and a soft deadline to strike a deal or potentially lose McCarthy to another job.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 3, 2025
Full story from me and @RapSheet: https://t.co/wIvRucEAvp
According to Rapoport and Pelissero, there have not been any "substantive talks" yet about an extension for McCarthy.
McCarthy confirmed as much to the Dallas media, saying that the two sides "have not had any conversations," per ESPN's Todd Archer. It has been the status quo for this front office to postpone talks until the end-of-season evaluation meetings, so the Joneses could just be up to their old tricks.
READ MORE: Mike McCarthy's next team if he leaves Cowboys has become painfully obvious
At the same time, though, if they intended on keeping McCarthy, wouldn't meaningful talks have occurred by this stage? There's one game left in the season and as Pelissero notes above, McCarthy's contract expires on Jan. 14, a mere nine days after Sunday's finale.
Coaching staff aside, this is shaping up to be a gargantuan offseason from a roster-building perspective. The team's list of free agents reads like a CVS receipt, while multiple homegrown players, including Micah Parsons, Tyler Smith and Brandon Aubrey, are extension-eligible.
The Joneses should want to get a head start on all of that. Then again, they have nine days to deny teams the opportunity to speak with McCarthy.
If there is a chance for the Joneses to steal some of the spotlight during Wild Card Weekend, rest assured they are going to take it, even if it means falling behind the eight ball on interviewing coaching candidates and other prominent offseason happenings.
Beggars can't be choosers, though. So many Cowboys fans want the team to move on from McCarthy they should count their victories one at a time.
This report is absolute a victory, if only a small one.