It was an emotional season finale for Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy.
Shortly after Dallas ended the regular season with a 23-19 loss at home to Washington, the team's fifth-year coach spoke to his staff in the team's locker room amid mounting speculation about whether owner Jerry Jones would retain Dallas. I shared some heart-wrenching moments with them.
McCarthy, 61, was seen hugging his assistants as he entered the locker room, surprising those covering the team. As reported by the Dallas Morning News“I've never seen that before.”
McCarthy was hired by the Cowboys in 2020 and has led the team to three playoff appearances over the past five seasons.
Dallas has fallen well short of expectations this year, with losses and injuries aplenty and rumors popping up almost weekly about McCarthy's future with the organization.
Now that a difficult 2024 season has come to a close, McCarthy is focused on the future and his desire to return to Dallas.
“I have a lot of confidence in myself as a head coach,” McCarthy said. According to The Athletic. “…I'm definitely in a position to move the program forward with Jerry. There's no question about that.”
McCarthy, who owns a 49-35 record in Dallas, plans to meet with the 82-year-old Jones “in the near future.”
If both parties decide to go their separate ways, ESPN reported Earlier this month, McCarthy said he “might set his sights on Chicago,” and fired head coach Matt Eberflus in late November.
There are currently five coaching vacancies after the 2024 regular season concludes on Sunday.
The Patriots fired first-year coach Jerod Mayo shortly after Sunday's 23-16 win over the Bills.
The Jaguars released Doug Pederson on Monday morning after three seasons.
The Bears, Saints, and Jets all fired their coaches midway through the season.
