Jerry Jones says he won’t fire Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy midseason after a crushing loss to the Eagles

by Junna Base November 11, 2024

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said he had no interest in firing coach Mike McCarthy in the middle of the season after the 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

“Mike is a great coach, a great coach in my opinion,” Jones said when asked about McCarthy’s status. “(He) has and should have the opportunity to do better than what we’re playing right now. I didn’t have a good experience with a coaching change in the middle of the season.”

The only coach Jones fired midseason was Wade Phillips in 2010 after a 45-7 loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 9. Associate head coach Jason Garrett took over as interim head coach and became the permanent head coach in 2011 .

“I changed coaches during the season with Wade and always regretted it,” Jones said. “In fact, after two years I made a change with Chan Gailey. I regretted that. That’s not enough. You have to give yourself a chance. I’ve had a lot more ropes over my time. I’ve never experienced anyone withholding anything from me.”

Sunday’s loss dropped the Cowboys to 3-6 and 0-4 at home. Backup quarterback Trey Lance made his first appearance in two years, taking over from Cooper Rush on the bench in the fourth quarter. Lance checked in for a two-play package earlier in the third quarter, but Rush came back and fumbled on the next play.

The Cowboys are playing without Dak Prescott, who is on injured reserve with a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 9.

Questions about McCarthy’s future continued throughout the season, and Jones had previously said he had no plans to make a coaching change during the season. McCarthy has led the Cowboys to a 45-31 record and is in the final year of his five-year contract with Dallas.

Why Jones stays with McCarthy

This answer is similar to the one Jones gave last month. It’s clear he wants to give McCarthy until the end of the season. As unlikely as a turnaround seems, I think Jones wants to give McCarthy the opportunity to see it through.

Another factor is that there is no obvious replacement on the coaching staff. There is simply no point in breaking away from McCarthy other than making a change to make a change.

I’d be surprised if Jones changed his mind in the coming weeks, but it’s Jerry Jones so anything is possible. — Jon Machota, Cowboys beat writer

Would McCarthy’s firing change the offense?

While Jones praises McCarthy when asked about him, it’s important to keep a few factors in mind. First, McCarthy is not only the team’s head coach, but also essentially the offensive coordinator, even though Brian Schottenheimer holds the title and game manager. This offense is his system.

If Jones fired McCarthy in the middle of the season, the Cowboys would have to come up with a plan on offense. Even if someone like Schottenheimer could finish the season in that role, not much would change conceptually for the Cowboys, especially without Prescott’s availability. – Saad Yousuf, Cowboys beat writer