NFL Executive Weighs in on Mike McCarthy's Chances to Return As Cowboys Coach in 2025

There's a lot on the line in the final four games for Dallas.

Dallas Cowboys head coach McCarthy reacts after a play against the Cincinnati Bengals. / Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys have decisions to make as they inch toward the finish line in a difficult season. The first, and debatably most important, decision is whether Jerry Jones will stick with Mike McCarthy or hire a new head coach.

In late November, Jones spoke on whether he was open to a potential contract extension for McCarthy.

"I don't think that's crazy at all," Jones said of a potential contract extension on a weekly radio appearance on 105.3The Fan. "This is a Super Bowl-winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas. We got a lot of football left."

McCarthy's current contract is set to expire after this season.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini published her "what I'm hearing" column on Saturday where she included the latest on McCarthy's future, or potential lack thereof, with the Cowboys.

Russini spoke with Cowboys executive vice president and COO Stephen Jones, who she noted "wasn’t ready to give a public vote of confidence for McCarthy’s return in 2025."

"We have not made any decisions," Jones told Russini via The Athletic. "We have four games left to play, and we need to look at the full body of work after the season.”

Like Jones alluded to, Russini mentioned that the belief around the league is that the team's performance in their final games will be critical in deciding McCarthy's future in Dallas.

Maybe most interestingly, however, Russini included comments from an NFL executive who isn't with the Cowboys.

“It will be important for McCarthy to finish strong, for (Jerry) Jones to stand pat,” the executive told Russini.

McCarthy and the Cowboys (5-8) travel to Carolina to play the Panthers (3-10) Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.

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