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In yet another twist to this season’s NFL coaching carousel, Mike McCarthy will not return as head coach of the Cowboys in 2025.
The news comes as McCarthy’s contract in Dallas was expiring. There was a Tuesday midnight deadline to reach a new deal before the Super Bowl XLV winner would become a free agent.
In 2020 the Cowboys gave McCarthy a five-year contract. He was making $8 million per season, according to ESPN. He led Dallas to three consecutive 12-win seasons from 2021 to 2023, but he never advanced past the divisional round of the playoffs. The Cowboys finished the 2024 season with a 7–10 record.
Cowboys owner and GM Jerry Jones was noncommittal about McCarthy’s future when he spoke to the media after the final game of the regular season. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and others have reported the two sides parted ways after not agreeing on the length of the term, with the Cowboys offering only a year or two of guaranteed money.
In a statement released Monday afternoon, Jones said he and McCarthy spent the last week conducting “a joint review of all aspects” of the past season. “Prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction,” Jones said.
McCarthy may have an opportunity to land another NFL job. The Bears previously requested permission from the Cowboys to interview McCarthy for their head coaching vacancy but were denied. The Saints are now also reportedly interested in interviewing McCarthy for their opening.
Spin Cycle
The Cowboys, widely regarded as the most valuable franchise in sports, now become the seventh NFL team searching for a new head coach this cycle. Dallas heads into next season with only $7 million in cap space, but the Cowboys do hold the 12th pick in April’s draft.
The Patriots have made the only hire so far, bringing on Mike Vrabel to replace Jerod Mayo. The Bears, Jaguars, Jets, Raiders, and Saints are still searching. New York and Las Vegas are also looking for a new GM, as are the Titans, who retained head coach Brian Callahan. Despite the Steelers losing a sixth consecutive playoff game, head coach Mike Tomlin is expected to be retained, sources told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
