REVEALED: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stuck with Mike McCarthy as head coach after learning he would NOT be able to convince Bill Belichick to move to Dallas this offseason
The Cowboys have decided to stick with head coach Mike McCarthy for next season, at least, after team owner Jerry Jones learned that he would not be able to convince Bill Belichick to move to Dallas this offseason.
On Thursday, McCarthy sifted through several versions of selling his belief that the Cowboys can find a level of postseason success that has eluded the franchise for nearly three decades after it was confirmed just a day ago that he would return for a fifth season despite a stunning wild-card loss to Green Bay.
‘To the dismay of many Dallas Cowboys fans, owner Jerry Jones decided to keep current coach Mike McCarthy on the payroll to coach the team for at least one more year after their disappointing showing in the NFL playoffs,’ a source exclusively told DailyMail.com.
‘Many thought that Mike was as good as fired, but the main reason that isn’t the case is because Jerry Jones found out relatively fast that he would not get Bill Belichick.
‘Bill’s people got back to Jerry’s inquiries to tell him that Billy wouldn’t take the Cowboys job if he was offered, nor would he have interviewed for the position. Belichick’s mentor Bill Parcells once coached the Cowboys and Belichick knew he wouldn’t have the power and control he would like to take the team in the direction he wanted, so he chose almost instantly that he wouldn’t be an option.
Had Belichick made himself available, Jerry Jones would have fired Mike McCarthy in a heartbeat because Jerry Jones wants to do anything and everything to win another Super Bowl for the Cowboys.’
The Cowboys won the NFC East and entere
On the other hand, it’s no secret that Belichick is looking to get back to work after leaving the Patriots as one of the greatest head coaches in history and with six Super Bowl championships to his name. His 24-year coaching tenure in New England is the fifth longest in history after George Halas (40 years), Curly Lambeau (29) and Tom Landy (29).
The Atlanta Falcons are planning for a second interview with Belichick on Saturday, seven years after he masterminded the largest comeback in Super Bowl history with a certain Tom Brady. The Patriots entered the fourth quarter, trailing 28-3 against Atlanta.
The Falcons have also interviewed Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh and Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson
d the postseason with a chance to play at least twice at home, where they had a 16-game winning streak. They exited as the first No. 2 seed to lose to a conference’s last team since the 14-team format was adopted in 2020.
Belichick also holds registered interest from the Los Angeles Chargers, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers.
McCarthy won a Super Bowl and went to three other NFC championship games in 12-plus seasons as head coach of the Packers. That’s why Jones hired him in 2020 after 10 years of watching Jason Garrett’s teams fail to get past the divisional round.
The most recent time Dallas reached an NFC title game was the last of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles during the 1995 season.
While McCarthy has to own being the coach of the first team with three consecutive 12-win playoff seasons not to reach a conference championship game, there’s only so much history he can take.
‘I’m going to take no responsibility, and I talked to the players too, and they have no responsibility on what’s gone on here in the 20-plus years before this point,’ McCarthy said.
‘We’re responsible for what’s going on the program. I know it’s disappointing to the fans, but we are in position to learn and grow from this and build on it.’
