Mike McCarthy hot seat: NFL insider shares latest on where negotiations stand with Cowboys

ESPN’s Adam Schefter joined Saturday’s edition of Postseason NFL Countdown to deliver the goods regarding embattled Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy.

The future of McCarthy in Dallas is currently in question. 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, and Schefter provided some answers on Saturday morning.

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“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.”

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.

As for the fact the Cowboys denied the Bears’ request to speak with Mike McCarthy, as Adam Schefter pointed out, that wouldn’t make much sense if the two sides were heading towards a divorce. Still, 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.