Jerry Jones saved Mike McCarthy, so what’s subsequent for Cowboys?

FRISCO, Texas — Mike McCarthy has provide you with completely different themes for every Dallas Cowboys season. In 2023, it was “Carpe Omnia,” Latin for seize every little thing.

With proprietor and normal supervisor Jerry Jones bringing McCarthy again for a fifth season, the top coach won’t need to put a lot thought into the 2024 theme.

How does “All or Nothing” sound?

McCarthy signed a five-year take care of the Cowboys in 2020, and there was no phrase of any sort of extension being agreed to when the coach met with Jones on Wednesday.

Add in that quarterback Dak Prescott additionally will probably be getting into the ultimate 12 months of his contract with the Cowboys, and it’s shaping up as, effectively, all or nothing.

The Cowboys have time to work on a Prescott extension between now and the beginning of the season, however he’s set to depend $59.4 million towards the wage cap. With out an extension or the addition of voidable years to Prescott’s contract, it could be tough for the Cowboys so as to add free brokers or retain their very own key gamers. However Prescott has gone eight years because the starter and has a 2-5 postseason report with out an look in a convention title sport.

The Cowboys must weigh the significance of signing him to a deal that might make him among the many highest-paid quarterbacks within the sport — within the $50 million-a-year neighborhood — with out confirmed playoff success, whereas additionally realizing they can’t place the franchise tag on him in 2025.

There are different questions to contemplate with McCarthy returning:

Why hold McCarthy?

He has a 42-25 report. He has received two NFC East titles prior to now three seasons. With McCarthy calling performs this season for the primary time in his tenure with the Cowboys, Prescott responded along with his greatest marketing campaign, main the NFL in landing passes (36) a 12 months after he tied for the lead in interceptions (15) regardless of lacking 5 video games with a damaged thumb.

The Cowboys have made the playoffs in three straight seasons, which they hadn’t executed since a six-year run from 1991 to 1996 that included wins in Tremendous Bowls XXVII, XXVIII and XXX. McCarthy grew to become the primary coach in group historical past to submit three straight 12-win seasons, although a few of that is because of taking part in a 17-game schedule. With McCarthy because the playcaller in 2023, the Cowboys completed No. 1 in factors per sport (29.9) and No. 5 in yards (371.6).

In the end, nevertheless, McCarthy will probably be judged on his postseason success. To date, he has misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs twice — each at AT&T Stadium — together with Sunday’s 48-32 embarrassment towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers.

Was there any consideration to creating a change?

If there was, it was saved quiet. Jones may have made overtures to Invoice Belichick, who received six Tremendous Bowls earlier than parting methods with the New England Patriots, or Jim Harbaugh, who simply received a nationwide championship at Michigan and beforehand took the San Francisco 49ers to a Tremendous Bowl. Former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel may have been another choice to contemplate.

As a lot as Jones is taken into account impulsive and a risk-taker, he has not made a serious transfer since buying and selling up within the first spherical to take cornerback Morris Claiborne and signing cornerback Brandon Carr to an enormous deal in free company in 2012.

Jones turns 82 subsequent season. He desires to win one other championship. Considering he would have made a play for an up-and-coming offensive coach, resembling Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson or Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, can be a stretch. He cannot look forward to a younger coach to study the ropes. He did that with Jason Garrett.

What about the remainder of the teaching workers?

Dan Quinn is interviewing with 5 groups (Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks) concerning head-coaching vacancies, so the Cowboys might be on the lookout for a defensive coordinator in a matter of days or even weeks.

Do the Cowboys have any person on workers able to turn out to be the coordinator, resembling Joe Whitt Jr., who has been the defensive passing sport coordinator since 2020, or line of defense coach Aden Durde or secondary coach Al Harris?

Might an out of doors coordinator be an possibility, resembling Wink Martindale, who spent the previous two seasons with the New York Giants?

The one different place coach who’s unsigned is extensive receivers coach Robert Prince. Each different place coach is signed via 2024, which matched up with McCarthy’s unique deal.

One other signal that 2024 is all or nothing.