Mike McCarthy lost all his goodwill following disastrous performance

Mike McCarthy was looking like a lock to return to the Dallas Cowboys in 2025 but that all changed thanks to a disastrous Week 17 performance.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL over the past five weeks. Winners of four games, and nearly five, they suddenly gave their head coach a shot at redemption.

Mike McCarthy, who had one foot out the door all year, suddenly seemed destined to return to Dallas in 2025. All he had to do was make sure the team continued to play hard and not embarrass themselves during the final two games.

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That’s not what happened though as the Philadelphia Eagles jumped out to a 7-0 lead on a pick six. That was a sign of things to come as they bullied the Cowboys all, winning 41-7.

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and CEO Stephen Jones and owner Jerry Jones / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

While one game shouldn’t decide the future for any coach, this feels like the exact performance Jerry Jones will point to as a reason to move on from the veteran head coach. Jones, who seemed ready to move on heading into the season, might have been swayed with two more wins but the blowout erases the goodwill McCarthy built over the past two months.

During that time, Dallas was being praised for the fight they showed as they made a last-ditch effort to save their coach. This weekend, the only fight they showed was a during a fourth-quarter brawl.

McCarthy has one more game to prove he deserves to return, but that might not be enough time.

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