Jerry Jones discusses Mike McCarthy’s future with the Cowboys

ARLINGTON, Texas – Eight games remain. There are 54 or 55 days left in the Dallas Cowboys season, depending on when the regular season finale against the Washington Commanders is scheduled.

At 3-6, the Cowboys are in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time since 2020 after losing more games in nine contests than in any of the last three seasons.

After the 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, owner and general manager Jerry Jones had similar sentiments about the status of coach Mike McCarthy: “I don’t think we’ll be making a coaching change during the season,” Jones said.

But he revealed what success would look like if the games continued without Dak Prescott, who faces season-ending surgery as early as Wednesday because of a partial tear of his hamstring.

“My criterion was always: ‘How we play. Do we have a head start? Are we fundamentally competitive? Are we competitive when we’re down? Things like that,” Jones said. “Obviously not so much, the score. What does Bill say?” [Parcells] say? Are you what the score tells you? But when you look at all these things, there is no fairness.

“Let me be very clear. Nobody is trying to be fair here. We’re trying to win a game. And those are the things I look at to be involved in decisions that could help us win a game. There is. “Without winning games there is no joy here and I’m very sorry.”

McCarthy entered the season with high expectations and had no guarantee of becoming the Cowboys’ coach in 2025 because his contract was not renewed. The Cowboys posted three straight 12-5 finishes and made the playoffs three consecutive years, but failed to advance past the divisional round.

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Jerry Jones refuses to single out the coaches who lost to the Eagles

Jerry Jones reacts to the Dallas Cowboys’ resounding loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and refuses to blame anyone.

The first nine games were disastrous. Beyond Prescott’s injury, the Cowboys have played four games without their best defensive player (Micah Parsons), five games without their most impactful defender (DeMarcus Lawrence) and nine games without one of their Pro Bowl cornerbacks (DaRon Bland). They lost their third and fourth pass rushers of the season (Sam Williams) or at least four games (Marshawn Kneeland) to knee injuries. No. 2 receiver Brandin Cooks hasn’t played since Week 4 due to surgery to remove an infection in his knee. First-round left tackle Tyler Guyton has missed two games, including Sunday’s loss.

These extenuating circumstances will be considered by Jones.

“Well, I am aware of the things that have happened to us and the extent of it in my mind [of] “How they influenced things,” Jones said. “And honestly, I take a lot of that into account when I look at individuals and coaching in particular.”

But …

“The responsibility has to fall on someone other than just the player. I’ll do it. I’ll do it. And by the way, not without other people contributing to how these players coach or how these coaches coach too,” Jones said. “That doesn’t mean I just come here and I do it. And you can imagine that I advise a lot of people.”

Jones has made just one mid-season coaching change since 1989. This happened in 2010 when he fired Wade Phillips and promoted Jason Garrett, who would serve as full-time head coach from 2011 to 2019.

Jones said he now regrets Phillips’ move, even though Garrett, considered the coach-in-waiting, went 5-3 after taking over as interim coach. Jones also regretted firing Chan Gailey after two seasons (1998–99) in which he reached the playoffs.

“You have to give yourself a chance,” Jones said. “I’ve had a lot more rope than that in my time. I’ve never seen anyone pull me so short.”

Jones called McCarthy a “heckuva coach” and a “great coach, in my opinion.” And [he] has and should have the opportunity to do better than what we are currently playing.

Jones said he expects the offense to perform better without Prescott. He doesn’t understand why the Cowboys faltered in the second half of the game. He doesn’t blame everything on the coaches.

“Everyone has a stake in this,” Jones said. “And we all know that the players are playing the game, and we know that the coaches are closest to them. The people closest to them are the people who hire the coaches, so everyone has a role to play. Everyone does it.”

“By the way, it’s no consolation when someone comes here and tells the fans: ‘It’s my fault. I accept that.’ What’s the point? That is not the deciding factor. And that’s why I’m not trying to throw out this nonsense.