Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made clear that he still believes Mike McCarthy is the right man to lead Dallas over the hump to the Super Bowl amid growing speculation that the longtime coach is on the hot seat heading into his third year with the NFC East franchise.
“I want to be real clear: He wouldn’t be sitting here today if I didn’t believe he was the man to lead this team to a Super Bowl,” Jones said of McCarthy on NFL Network Tuesday, per Ian Rapoport. “And I have choices. “
Jones’s defense of McCarthy comes shortly after the Cowboys coach was asked about his job security to start a media availability Monday. Unsurprisingly, the 58-year-old wasn’t happy with the line of questioning.
“It’s irritating that the first question you ask me has nothing to do with how I do my job,” McCarthy told David Moore of The Dallas Morning News before leaving for training camp. “I show up every day for work to win a championship. How do we win today? That’s what I’m asking.
“My viewpoint is it’s not a story,” he continued. “It’s a media-driven narrative, or at least a narrative driven outside my realm.”
Although both Jones and McCarthy sound confident in their commitment to one another, the Cowboys were rumored to have interest in former Saints coach Sean Payton, who retired from the NFL this past season. Payton, who accepted a job as an analyst for Fox, told USA Today Sports he’s still open to returning to coaching but said it would depend on “fit.”
Dallas defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was also rumored to be a potential head coach replacement, forcing McCarthy to fend off questions throughout the offseason and now, at the outset of training camp.
“How does this affect winning? That’s what I ask of players, coaches and staff,” McCarthy said of his approach. “If it doesn’t have to do with winning, it’s a waste of each other’s time.
“I don’t put any credence into these stories, but my family has to listen to it,” he added. “I’ve already spent too much energy on it answering these questions.”
McCarthy is 18–15 since taking over the Cowboys in 2020. Dallas has made the playoffs just once and was eliminated in the NFC Wild Card round last season.
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