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The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL throughout the 2024 season. Dallas is 7-9 heading into Week 18 and have already been eliminated from NFC playoff contention. Now Cowboys fans want answers on how the team will turn things around in 2025. That includes answering who will be the team's head coach.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said this week that he is “not under any unusual timeframe at all” for deciding the fate of head coach Mike McCarthy.
However, sources told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero that there is a clear timeframe in place. McCarthy's current contract expires on January 14th. According to NFL rules, that gives the Cowboys an exclusive negotiating window between now and then.
This window should be viewed as a soft deadline to get a deal done with McCarthy, should the Cowboys decide that's what they want to do.
Once the regular season ends, other teams can request permission from Dallas to interview McCarthy for coaching positions. After January 14th, McCarthy is free to interview with whichever team he wants.
“I do appreciate the opportunity to speak on it,” McCarthy said last week about returning to Dallas and exploring other options. “I've answered this question the same for however many months now, so I think the focus, I need to make sure I'm doing exactly what I'm asking everyone else to do. We need to finish the race. It's been a challenging year, based on our contract situation for coaches. It's stating the obvious, but we'll have time to talk about that next week.”
Most of McCarthy's coaching staff also have expiring contracts. If McCarthy and the Cowboys decide to part ways, there could be big changes coming in Dallas this spring.
Mike McCarthy could set his sights on Bears job if he doesn't return with Cowboys
McCarthy could be a coveted coaching candidate if Dallas lets him go this offseason.
If that happens, McCarthy could have his eye on Chicago's open job. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler explained why in a recent article.
“Pete Carroll might not be the only Super Bowl-winning coach vying for the Bears job,” ESPN's Jeremy Fowler wrote. “I've talked to multiple people who believe McCarthy — should he leave Dallas — could set his sights on Chicago. He would give the Bears much-needed experience and offensive acumen.”
McCarthy has a decent shot of getting that job if he ends up interviewing for it.
“Despite his rocky tenure in Dallas, McCarthy would stack up well if parachuting into this candidate pool and provide leadership,” Fowler continued. “He turned 61 in November but seems to have the energy for the job. He's quite familiar with NFC North football, too. This might not graduate from a working theory stage, but enough people have mentioned the scenario to make it worth mentioning here.”
McCarthy is not exactly the type of offensive mind that Bears fans would prefer. But he could be a solid hire for Chicago if that's what ends up happening.
