As the head coach with arguably the hottest seat in the NFL, Mike McCarthy is seemingly coaching for his job in every outing with the Dallas Cowboys. Currently in his fifth year with the team, McCarthy is working on the final year of his current contract, leading to some believing that the Cowboys' final five games of 2024 will determine his future.
While the pressure continues to mount on McCarthy, Dallas is likely to let him coach out the rest of 2024 before evaluating his future with the team in the offseason, Ian Rapoport reported on the NFL Network.
“The Cowboys are going to have a big-time decision after the season, based in part on how the season plays out,” Rapoport said. “Do they bring back Mike McCarthy, believing that he is a very good coach to take them into the future and knowing they didn't get the results that they wanted? The season has to play out before we get the decision.”
Cowboys fans have been frustrated with McCarthy for several years but the longtime head coach still received words of encouragement from team owner Jerry Jones. McCarthy was also publicly supported by Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons, the team's two biggest stars.
Cowboys in danger of first losing season since 2020
In the five years McCarthy has been with the team, the Cowboys have been up and down with three 12-5 seasons but never advancing past the divisional round of the playoffs. However, McCarthy is now in danger of suffering his second losing season of his tenure after going 6-10 in his first year with the team.
Entering Week 14 at 5-7, the Cowboys need to win at least four of their final five games to avoid ending the year with a losing record. That task will be easier said than done with tough upcoming games against the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If the Cowboys are unable to spark a vast turnaround, 2024 would be McCarthy's fourth time in his last seven years coaching with a losing record. His final two years with the Green Bay Packers ended below .500, leading to his firing in 2018 despite previously bringing the franchise a Super Bowl victory.
Dallas continues their dreadful season in Week 14 against the Cincinnati Bengals, who have had an equally disappointing campaign. The 4-8 Bengals have lost three straight entering the matchup after beginning the year as AFC contenders.
