Jerry Jones has already secured a new head coach for the Dallas Cowboys ahead of the upcoming season, but new details continue to emerge about Mike McCarthy’s surprising departure. It appears one of the key factors was McCarthy’s request for a contract extension, which Jones rejected with a lower counteroffer.
According to Todd Archer, the former Cowboys head coach requested a five-year extension to re-sign with the team, but owner Jerry Jones countered with just a three-year offer. Had McCarthy agreed to the deal he wanted, he would have remained in Dallas through 2029.
It’s worth noting that Mike McCarthy had an approximate salary of $8 million with the franchise, one of the highest among head coaches for ‘big’ teams like the Cowboys. According to Archer’s data, the head coach was the 11th highest-paid in the NFL.
The Cowboys had McCarthy from 2020 to 2024, marking the second-largest contract of his career after leaving Green Bay, where he won a Super Bowl but unfortunately couldn’t lead the Dallas franchise to the big game.
The Cowboys with McCarthy
As most know, during McCarthy’s tenure as head coach in Dallas, the franchise reached the postseason three times. The furthest they got was the divisional round in 2022, where they lost to the 49ers, 19-12. The other two occasions saw them eliminated in the Wild Card games.
McCarthy’s Uncertain Future
As of now, it’s unclear what position McCarthy will take for the 2025 season. It’s worth remembering that after leaving Green Bay in 2018, he spent an entire year without a job in the league. Notably, in January, Adam Schefter reported that both the Saints and Bears were interested in hiring him at that time, but it never materialized.