Mike McCarthy’s name may soon be added to the list of former Cowboys coaches who grew tired of working under Jerry Jones. McCarthy, who is entering his fifth and final season under contract, is getting “fed up” with Jones’ undermining.
“He’s doing it the best he can,” an ex-Cowboys personnel man recently said, per Tyler Dunne of Go Long. “Some of the people I’ve talked to have said that he’s getting fed up with it a little bit.”
McCarthy apparently isn’t the only one who is growing weary of Jones, who has owned and operated the franchise since purchasing it in 1989. According to the report, players are also concerned about Jones and his ability/willingness to undermine their coach.
Jones has long held the reputation for being a very hands-on owner. That was what largely contributed to the breakup between Jones and Jimmy Johnson following the Cowboys’ successful defense of their Super Bowl title at the end of the 1993 season. The Cowboys did win a third Super Bowl under Jones’ ownership two years later, but the franchise has never been the same since Johnson’s departure.
Ironically, Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells, who left New England following a Super Bowl appearance because of his inability to coexist with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, said that he had a positive experience working for Jones during his four-year stint in Dallas from 2003-06.
“I enjoyed working for Jerry,” Parcells said last fall. “I learned a lot about the business side of the game. I found him to be very supportive. He was a benevolent person who did a lot for a lot of people. His word was good. I really liked him.”
While Jones has likely adjusted his handling of coaches following Johnson, his philosophy when it comes to owning the team doesn’t appear to have changed. Along with his title of owner, Jones continues to serve as general manager despite the ever-changing landscape of free agency and the salary cap. You could argue with conviction that the Cowboys’ recent inability to snap their NFC Championship appearance drought (which is at 28 years and counting) is largely due to their issues managing the cap.
The Cowboys lost running back Tony Pollard and center Tyler Biadasz in free agency. And they have pending contract situations with their three biggest stars: quarterback Dak Prescott, receiver CeeDee Lamb and linebacker Micah Parsons. Those contract situations have created distractions throughout that likely won’t dissipate when training camp opens next month.
Then, there’s the uncertain future of McCarthy, who was on the hot seat after the Cowboys were upset by the Packers in January’s wild-card playoff game. McCarthy is set to enter the 2024 season as a lame-duck coach as Jones has not extended his contract. McCarthy went 12-5 in the past three seasons in Dallas, but the Cowboys are just 1-3 in the playoffs over that span.
McCarthy likely wants to continue coaching in Dallas, assuming the team finds a way to keep its nucleus together. The question that will eventually be answered is whether or not McCarthy wants to keep working with Jones, and vice versa.
