Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Jerry Jones on the fence about Mike McCarthy returning as Cowboys HC

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated 1/8/24

Mike McCarthy has won nearly 63% of his games with two division titles as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, but he has just one playoff win to show for it.

McCarthy has made it past the divisional round in just two of the last eight seasons he’s made the playoffs dating back to his time with the Green Bay Packers, and his seeming inability to deliver in the postseason is exactly why Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is noncommittal about McCarthy’s future with the team.

“We’ll see how each game goes,” Jones said, via Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

I can’t explain why Jerry Jones failed to ensure Mike McCarthy’s unequivocal return as head coach, which he clearly deserves.

It goes beyond consistently winning and dominating at home.

As the first-time playcaller, he’s helped Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to play their best.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) January 8, 2024

Despite three straight 12-5 seasons, ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently indicated that McCarthy likely needs a deep playoff run to keep his job. The Cowboys haven’t made it past the divisional round of the playoffs since 1995.

Dallas has been eliminated from the postseason each of the last two seasons by the San Francisco 49ers. They’ve served as a de facto measuring stick for the Cowboys over the past few years, and they boat-raced the Cowboys 42-10 in Week 5 on “Sunday Night Football.”

Complicating the situation even more is what happens with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who’s expected to be a highly sought-after commodity among teams searching for new head coaches.

Quinn chose to withdraw from last year’s coaching cycle and return to Dallas despite garnering head-coaching interest from multiple teams, and some around the league believe it was because he’s had his eye on the Cowboys head-coaching job and believes he’s next in line should McCarthy get fired.

In five-plus seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-20, Quinn had a 43-42 record with two playoff appearances, one Super Bowl appearance and one division title.

More must-reads: