Jerry Jones praised former Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy while explaining why Dallas' owner felt it was time for the two to go their separate ways.
On Monday, news broke that McCarthy would not return to coach the Cowboys after the two teams were unable to reach an agreement on a new contract.
In a statement, Jones reiterated his praise for McCarthy's work during his time leading the Cowboys, saying he had “great respect for Mike,” before deciding on the next step after a “joint review.” He explained that he had come to the realization that the time had come to move on.
“Last week, Mike and I had the opportunity to jointly review all aspects of our players, staff and past season, and we also spent a significant amount of time discussing the future direction of our team,” Jones said.
“These discussions were thorough and covered the appropriate amount of time and depth. However, we each felt it would be better for each of us to go in separate directions before reaching contract negotiations. Thank you Mike and we wish him, his wife Jessica, and their family all the best. They are great members of our community here. We will immediately begin the search process to hire the Cowboys' next head coach.”
McCarthy has not yet commented publicly on the decision.
McCarthy had a 49-35 record in five seasons with the Cowboys, helping them reach the playoffs in 2021, 2022 and 2023, but the team won just one postseason game during that span. It was just that.
Last season, the Cowboys finished 7-10 in 2024 despite being plagued by injuries to starting quarterback Dak Prescott. This led to speculation as to whether McCarthy would return next season.
He also has interest in coaching jobs elsewhere, and the Bears made a public request to speak with him, but the Cowboys declined.
McCarthy is a coaching free agent, and both the Bears and Saints are expected to show interest.
