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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and head coach Mike McCarthy reportedly haven’t met yet amid rumors and speculation regarding the latter man’s potential firing and the possibility of eight-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick replacing him.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the latest on SportsCenter on Tuesday, two days after Dallas’ 48-32 loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card round:
“I just checked in with a source with the Cowboys. I was told ‘status quo’ right now. Mike McCarthy is still a part of the exit interviews with players and coaches. As far as I know, he and Jerry Jones have not met yet. Jones has pulled this in the past where he’s got a coach going into a contract year, McCarthy has one year left. With Jason Garrett, he let him play out his deal. He doesn’t like to pay buyout money very often so even if he wants to move on, maybe they wait. There’s a lot of ways Jerry Jones can play this. I don’t think anything’s been truly figured out just yet but his status is up in the air no doubt.”
McCarthy, who became the Cowboys’ head coach in 2020, has led Dallas to 12-win seasons in each of the past three years. However, the Cowboys have won just one playoff game during that span.
This season arguably featured the most disappointing finish of the three. Dallas entered the NFC playoffs as the No. 2 seed but became the first team to lose to a No. 7 seed after the brutal loss to Green Bay, which at one point led 48-16 in the fourth quarter.
After the Cowboys’ loss, ESPN’s Adam Schefter suggested McCarthy’s job could be in jeopardy:
Adam Schefter @AdamSchefter
Throughout this season, sources believed Cowboys’ HC Mike McCarthy always would be judged by how Dallas’ last game of the season went.
The last game of the season went about as poorly as possible for a team that entered the game as a heavy favorite. The defense fell apart, and the offense didn’t come to life until it was far too late.
And so Dallas has now gone 28 years since advancing past the Divisional round. The Cowboys certainly have the talent in place for a deep playoff run, and it seems like that could happen this year. But the collapse against Green Bay brings a host of questions to the table, namely McCarthy’s job status.
The fact that Belichick, who won six Super Bowls as the New England Patriots head coach in his 24-season reign, is available only complicates matters. He has a strong relationship with the Jones family, per Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, which makes things even more intriguing.
Albert Breer @AlbertBreer
Just a total meltdown.
And a note here: Bill Belichick has, quietly in recent years, through doing football business and attending owners meetings, built a very solid relationship with both Jerry and Stephen Jones. Things might be getting pretty interesting here.
On the flip side, a report from Jane Slater of NFL Network revealed that McCarthy has the backing of his players.
Jane Slater @SlaterNFL
-Nuggets like wanting players on Saturday practices to bring their families so he can meet them and interact
-Meeting breaks to text a loved one and say thank you for their support
-Preservation of their bodies with rest days
-“his love of players like none I’ve had before”
As it stands right now, it’s been a few days since another ugly Cowboys loss, and the waiting game continues in Dallas regarding McCarthy’s coaching future.
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