Given that Jerry Jones retained Mike McCarthy, the Cowboys are in a predicament.
Mike McCarthy has devised a unique theme for each season of the Dallas Cowboys. It was “Carpe Omnia,” which translates to “seize everything,” in 2023.
Eight years into his starting career, Prescott has accumulated a 2-5 record in the postseason and has yet to make an appearance in a conference championship game.
Given that owner or general manager Jerry Jones has rehired McCarthy for a fifth season, the team’s head coach may not have to devote much attention to the theme for 2024.
In 2020, McCarthy signed a five-year contract with the Cowboys. However, when the coach met with Jones on Wednesday, there was no indication of reaching an extension.
Considering that quarterback Dak Prescott will enter his final season of contract with the Cowboys, the situation appears to be dire.
Although the Cowboys still have time until the start of the season to negotiate a Prescott extension, he will be subject to $59.4 million in salary cap consideration.
In the absence of an extension or the incorporation of voidable years into Prescott’s contract, the Cowboys would encounter challenges in recruiting free agents and retaining their own pivotal personnel.
Without a track record of postseason success, the Cowboys would have to weigh the significance of signing him to a contract that would place him in the $50 million-per-year range, among the highest-paid passers in the sport, against the fact that they are unable to put the franchise tag on him in 2025.
He holds a record of 42-25. Over the course of the last three seasons, he has won two NFC East championships.
Prescott responded to McCarthy calling plays for the first time in his Cowboys career with his best performance of the season, which included tying for the NFL lead in interceptions (15) and leading the NFL to touchdown passes (36) despite missing five games due to a broken thumb.
On Wednesday night, in reaction to one of the most unexpected and disheartening season-ending periods in the 64-year history of the Dallas Cowboys, owner Jerry Jones replaced Mike McCarthy with Jason Garrett.
By opting to retain his position as head coach and (presumably) requiring him to work the upcoming season without job security and in the final year of his contract, Jones is essentially compelling McCarthy to perform the same function as his previous head coach, Jason Garrett, twice: coach the Cowboys ineffectively.
The Cowboys initially finished 2014 with a 12-4 record and were on the verge of necessitating a “Dez caught it” replay in order to advance towards the NFC Champion Game.
Garrett lost his job in 2019 after his Cowboys finished the second time with an 8-8 record despite a sluggish 3-0 start.
“With Mike McCarthy as our head coach, I believe this group is exceptionally close to and capable of reaching our ultimate objectives; therefore, the best course of action for us will be to proceed.”
There are significant advantages to maintaining the team’s advancement while Mike serves as our primary coach.
Mike possesses the most regular-season victories for any head coach in Cowboys history. We are committed to working in tandem with him to effectively convert that record-setting percentage into postseason success.
Mike has undoubtedly achieved significant postseason success throughout his career, and we are extremely optimistic that this trend will continue.
Although our collective disappointment stems from the outcome on Sunday and our playoff standing, I wholeheartedly endorse him in his capacity as our in-house coach and in our endeavor to accomplish our objectives.
Ardent supporters across the NFL are expected to be astonished and dismayed by Jones’ predicament, as they have endured the team’s inability to win two consecutive playoff games in the same postseason since 1995.
Following the unexpected and discouraging 48-32 upset loss against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, McCarthy has faced mounting pressure from supporters who advocate for his dismissal and appoint former Boston Patriots great Bill Belichick or Jim Harbaugh of Michigan.
They are the only home team to suffer a defeat on Super Wild Card Weekend for the second time in three years following their jarring 7-0 loss to the Packers.
The Cowboys’ defeat snapped a 16-game winning streak, revealing their abject unpreparedness and clear outcoaching.