Report: Mike McCarthy expected to become ‘coaching free agent’

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy will be eligible to talk to other teams after midnight on Tuesday, unless he reaches an agreement on a new deal in Dallas, but that doesn’t look likely at the moment, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

“With Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy eligible to talk to other teams after midnight Tuesday, there still haven’t been any negotiations on a new deal with Dallas, per sources,” Schefter posted on X. “It’s now looking like McCarthy will indeed become a coaching free agent, with Chicago and New Orleans both expected to be interested in speaking with him.”

The future of McCarthy in Dallas is currently in question as you can tell, but it’s a fascinating situation He’s not been fired by the Cowboys, but his contract has run out, and if Jerry Jones wishes to retain his services, he’ll have to extend McCarthy. That’s the question the franchise has been grappling with.

All told, McCarthy has been more than solid in Dallas, amassing a 49-35 record with the Cowboys since taking over in 2019, including three straight 12-win seasons from 2020-22. This year was a rough go, however, as Dallas finished 7-10. However, they dealt with a myriad of injuries throughout the season, which hampered their already depleted roster.

Other teams, such as the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints, would like to speak with McCarthy. If he’s under contract in Dallas, that can’t happen, but if he’s not extended before Wednesday, the embattled coach can take interviews elsewhere. Schefter provided some added clarity earlier last week on the situation.

“Mike McCarthy’s contract with the Dallas Cowboys expires on Jan. 14,” Schefter noted. “While there have been substantial conversations between Mike McCarthy and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones regarding football issues and questions, there haven’t been any substantial discussions between Mike McCarthy and Jerry Jones regarding a future contract, and as long as that’s the case, you have to wonder, ‘What is Jerry Jones waiting for?’ Clearly, no deal has been done by now. Jerry must have an idea in his mind, another plan as well, about what he would do if and when Tuesday comes and Mike McCarthy is allowed to talk to other teams, like the Chicago Bears, that already have been requested permission to interview and denied from the Dallas Cowboys. 

“The longer this goes on, and the less conversation there is about a deal materializing for McCarthy, the more you have to wonder if the two sides are even going to get one done. I think that’s in question right now at best, and I think we will get clarity early this week. But again, no business conversations so far. Jerry likes to wait late in the game. We saw that with Dak Prescott this year. We saw it with CeeDee Lamb. But right now, it seems like Jerry must have some other ideas, as well.”

Regardless, the next few days are going to be interesting to see what lies ahead for both sides. You never know with Jerry Jones in Dallas, and Mike McCarthy’s future remains a mystery.