Somewhat surprisingly, Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones confirmed on Monday that he and head coach Mike McCarthy agreed that “it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction” this offseason.
Later in the day, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott referred to McCarthy as “a great coach and a hell of a man” in messages sent to Clarence Hill of ALL DLLS (h/t Pro Football Talk).
“Bummed, because we built some things,” Prescott said about McCarthy’s departure after five seasons. “But I guess they couldn’t reach an agreement. SMH.”
As recently as Monday, a report indicated it was a “safe assumption” that McCarthy and Jones saw “a track to move forward for 2025 and beyond” after McCarthy spent the 2024 campaign working in the final year of his previous contract. However, the two sides seemingly couldn’t come to terms on the length of a new deal during Dallas’ exclusive negotiating period that was set to end on Tuesday.
Cowboys leaders such as Prescott and pass-rusher Micah Parsons campaigned for Jones to run it back with McCarthy during the club’s season that featured an injury crisis depleting the squad and that Dallas finished at 7-10. Prescott didn’t play again after he went down with a serious hamstring injury in a Week 9 loss that dropped the Cowboys to 3-5 at the time.
Prescott told Hill he takes “responsibility for our team being in this position” of moving on from a coach who went 12-5 each season from 2021-23 but who also earned just one playoff win during his Dallas tenure.
“It’s the business,” Prescott added. “I look forward to the future plan.”
Shortly after it was learned that McCarthy wouldn’t be back with the Cowboys, stories linked the franchise with big names such as North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders. As shared by ESPN’s Todd Archer, Jones and Sanders spoke Monday and “are expected to continue their dialogue” about a possible working relationship.
On Monday night, Pro Football Talk’s Charean Williams said such a partnership “seems like a longshot to happen considering Jones doesn’t even pay off coaches” and Sanders’ Colorado contract includes an $8M buyout.
