Adam Schefter: 'Unsettled' Cowboys Could Fire McCarthy, 'Some People Say'
FRISCO - As we have stated many times in our long-standing coverage of the NFL, this is a "never-say never'' business.
And yes, that has always applied even to the Dallas Cowboys under owner Jerry Jones, who has one of the league's slowest trigger when it comes to firing a head coach. And yes, that has at the same time always applied to the job security of said head coaches.
It's a hand-in-hand established pair of facts: Mike McCarthy has both a) Done an "outstanding job'' here (Jones' words) in posting his third straight winning season featuring a playoff berth, and b) Is expected to guide Dallas to another level.
If at some point, he fails to do that? Hey, the head coach isn't the Pope or a Supreme Court Judge; eventually, before you die, you leave.
Does that, however, mean the matter of McCarthy's job security is "unsettled"? It does, according to "some people'' who have spoken to ESPN insider Adam Schefter.
Per Schefter: "There continues to be a feeling from people around the league, and even some within the Cowboys organization, that coach Mike McCarthy will be measured by how Dallas' final game goes."
"Some people'' are also allegedly whispering to Schefter, "If the Cowboys play well in the postseason, McCarthy would have an excellent chance to keep his job. But if they struggle and end the season with an embarrassing loss, as has happened in each of the past two years, then some say that change could come to Dallas."
We're not arguing against the validity of the idea of McCarthy facing demands of excellence. Again, that is old news. We have noted often the scenarios that could cause Jones to sever ties here.
"Lose 50-0 in the Wild Card round and let's revisit this!'' is an exaggerated example of how we've framed it.
But what we cannot do is cite an actual source from here inside The Star who will actually say that - in part because no actual source can know what the exact bar of expectation will be, or exactly how "failure'' will be measured.
What if the Cowboys get to the Super Bowl and lose 50-0? In Schefter's words, wouldn't that "end the season with an embarrassing loss?'' McCarthy would - to ESPN's "some people'' - in that scenario get fired? How can they know that?
ESPN can't know that, either, and yet this weekend is up to its elbows in playing the "Some People Say'' Game, with another story regarding the idea of personnel boss Will McClay leaving Dallas.
At this stage, these reports are more about being able to say "I told you so'' if indeed a major change in the Cowboys hierarchy actually occurs than there are about "sources.'' Using this CYA technique, if McCarthy stays, ESPN can claim it never reported otherwise. And if he's dismissed? ESPN can claim it "reported'' it first.
And the way you, the NFL consumer, can tell the difference between a "report'' and a "rumor''?
If Adam Schefter had "sources'' - rather than the blurry and vague "some people'' - he'd have said so.
