The Dallas Cowboys have been eliminated from the playoffs and, after a rocky season, owner Jerry Jones is refusing to confirm that head coach Mike McCarthy will be back for the 2025 season.
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Despite the two looking very chummy in the locker room after the Cowboys 26-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it is notable that Jones declined to answer whether McCarthy will still have a job next year, even when directly asked.
"Proud of those guys. They wouldn't give it up out there. So I'm real, real proud of them," Jones said after the game. "And Mike McCarthy, he just won't let them not think they're playing for the Super Bowl out there. He won't let them do it. So proud of that."
However, Jones also stated he was not willing to discuss (and presumably either confirm or deny) his head coach's future prospects.
"All I can say is what a good job, how good a job he's doing," Jones said. "Don't have thoughts that I would share as to anything about what we do ... after we're through playing this year."
The Cowboys' playoff hopes officially ended when the Washington Commanders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the final seconds of their game—hours before the Cowboys took the field against Tampa Bay.
With their postseason chances dashed, Dallas still managed to defeat the Buccaneers, finishing their regular season with a 7-8 record and winning four of their last five games.
The Cowboys were already short-handed, missing key players due to injury, including Pro Bowlers Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, DeMarcus Lawrence, and Trevon Diggs.
They were further weakened when linebacker Eric Kendricks, their leading tackler, was ruled out with a calf injury that did not improve during warm-ups. During the game, the injury list grew: Pro Bowl wide receiver CeeDee Lamb was forced to leave in the second half with a shoulder injury, and receiver Jalen Tolbert suffered a dislocated pinky finger just before halftime.
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With head coach McCarthy's contract expiring at the end of the season, his future with the team is uncertain. A month ago, it seemed McCarthy's job was on the line, but the Cowboys' strong late-season performance could change that.
Despite making the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, Dallas was eliminated from contention with three games still remaining—its earliest postseason exit since 2015.
Yet, even with the playoffs out of reach, the Cowboys have continued to fight. Their final two games—against division rivals Philadelphia and Washington—could have major implications for both the team's immediate future and McCarthy's tenure. Dallas' Super Bowl drought has stretched to nearly its third decade, but what that could mean for McCarthy is still uncertain.
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