Mike McCarthy Discusses Relationship with Jerry Jones, Sean Payton Rumors

“At the end of the day, we both want the same thing and that is to win a world championship.”

Until nearly three weeks ago, the Cowboys had been at the center of potential rumors concerning coaching changes within the franchise. Those speculations stemmed from comments by owner Jerry Jones, who was not happy when Dallas was eliminated in the wild-card round of playoffs in January.

But with Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn—who held interviews with five teams for head coaching vacancies around the league—returning, things appear to be on one accord in Dallas. 

McCarthy addressed Jones’s comments about Quinn potentially being head coach material and rumors of former Saints coach Sean Payton being linked to Dallas on the Rich Eisen Show on Tuesday. 

His boss openly suggested one of his coordinators was head coaching material for the @dallascowboys and then there’s all the Sean Payton rumors.

How does all this sit with Mike McCarthy and has he talked with Jerry Jones about it??@richeisen asked him point blank today: pic.twitter.com/EGTGcZVNhE

— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) February 15, 2022

McCarthy—despite the unusual narrative by Jones—summarized Jones’s comments as understanding the “landscape of the franchise” and says his relationship with Jones is good.

“When you look at those type of comments... I think you have to understand the platform of where they come from,” McCarthy said. “I have an excellent relationship with Jerry Jones.

“... Are these narratives unusual? Absolutely... I've never dealt with anything like this.. But it is part of our landscape. At the end of the day, it is about the people you are in charge of... and most importantly our locker room and our locker room is about winning.”

McCarthy also told Eisen that he and Jones had discussed the Payton rumors. According to McCarthy, Jones assured him of the team’s future plans.

“You [McCarthy] and I are in this back to back, it’s a partnership and let’s focus on what we need to do moving forward,” McCarthy told Eisen Jones said to him.

“At the end of the day, we both want the same thing and that is to win a world championship,” McCarthy said. “The narratives are unusual but at the end of the day, you have to trust the relationships.”

Dallas (12–5) was the only home team to lose in the wild-card round of this year’s postseason.

• Cowboy Maven: NFL Draft Order: Can Dallas Cowboys Strike Gold For 3rd Straight Year?

For more Dallas Cowboys coverage, go to Cowboy Maven.