FRISCO, Texas — Mike McCarthy will not return as the Dallas Cowboys’ head coach in 2025, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Monday.
McCarthy’s contract with the Cowboys expired last Wednesday but the team held an exclusive negotiating window with the coach until Tuesday at midnight. However, the sides have not had any negotiations regarding a new deal, sources told Schefter on Monday.
The Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints are expected to be interested in speaking with him regarding their vacancies, sources told Schefter. Last week, the Bears had an official request for permission to speak with McCarthy denied by the Cowboys.
Coming off a disappointing 7-10 finish in 2024, Jerry Jones will look to make the ninth head coaching hire of his tenure as owner and general manager.
McCarthy had a 49-35 record in his five seasons as coach, but he won just one playoff game while suffering devastating home losses in the wild-card round to the San Francisco 49ers (2021) and Green Bay Packers (2023).
Jones had McCarthy and his entire coaching staff work on the last year of their deals after posting three straight 12-5 marks and leading the team to the playoffs in three straight seasons for the first time since the 1990s.
The Cowboys opened this season with a 3-2 record but suffered five straight defeats and saw key players including quarterback Dak Prescott (hamstring), right guard Zack Martin (ankle), defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (foot), cornerback Trevon Diggs (knee) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) end the year on injured reserve.
After winning 16 straight regular-season games at AT&T Stadium from 2021 to 2023, the Cowboys finished 2-7 at home in 2024 and became the first team in NFL history to trail by at least 20 points in six straight home games, including the 2023 playoff loss to the Packers.
Before injuries took a complete toll on the season, Jones backed McCarthy and said he did not believe in-season coaching changes make a difference. The only in-season change Jones has made came in 2010 when Jason Garrett took over for Wade Phillips after a 1-7 start.
At 3-7 this season, the Cowboys won four of their next five games with Cooper Rush at quarterback after Prescott had surgery to repair an avulsion of his right hamstring suffered Nov. 3. The Cowboys’ playoff chances officially ended in Week 16.
McCarthy was hired as Garrett’s replacement in 2020 with a clear mandate: deliver postseason success. From 2006 to 2018 with the Green Bay Packers, McCarthy made the playoffs nine times with four NFC Championship Game appearances and a win in Super Bowl XLV at AT&T Stadium in the 2010 season.
Twice McCarthy eliminated the Cowboys in the divisional round of the playoffs (2014, 2016). But he was unable to match the playoff success in Dallas.
The biggest disappointment, however, was a 48-32 loss to the Packers in the wild-card round in 2023. Green Bay had a 27-0 lead with less than two minutes to play in the first half and the Cowboys never threatened.
The Cowboys never truly found their footing in 2024.
McCarthy entered this season in the final year of his contract despite becoming the first Cowboys coach to deliver three straight playoff appearances since Jimmy Johnson (1991-93). Johnson, however, won two Super Bowls.
Despite Jones’ all-in proclamation at the start of the offseason, the Cowboys saw key contributors to those three playoff seasons — left tackle Tyron Smith, running back Tony Pollard, center Tyler Biadasz and defensive end Dorance Armstrong — leave in free agency and did little to replace them.
The team’s reunion with running back Ezekiel Elliott did not pay off, although Rico Dowdle ended up with more than 1,000 yards rushing.
Lamb missed training camp before signing a four-year, $136 million contract that made him the second-highest-paid wide receiver in the game. Prescott agreed to a four-year, $240 million contract extension hours before the season opener at Cleveland.
Three of the Cowboys’ top defenders — pass rusher Micah Parsons (ankle), Lawrence and cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) — also missed time with injuries, which impacted new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer greatly. The Cowboys lost their first four home games of the season by a total of 94 points.
After finishing first in the NFL in points per game in 2023, McCarthy’s first season as the playcaller, they were 20th in 2024.
Though they improved defensively as the year went on, the Cowboys allowed 27.5 points per game, 31st in the NFL, and were 28th in yards.
Jones will now be on the lookout for the ninth head coach of his tenure, dating back to 1989. Since Johnson, he has hired a hot offensive coordinator (Chan Gailey, 1998-99), elevated from within (Garrett, 2010-19 and Dave Campo 2000-02), hired a top defensive coordinator (Wade Phillips, 2007-10) and brought in Super Bowl winners (McCarthy and Bill Parcells, 2003-06).
None has been the answer to end the Cowboys’ Super Bowl drought.
Will Jones, who turned 82 in October, look for an NFL veteran, a college head coach or an up-and-coming coordinator on either side of the ball to finally get the Cowboys over the hump?
All options appear to be on the table.
