Unsuccessful negotiations open coaching search

FRISCO, Texas – Sure seemed so simple when the 2024 Dallas Cowboys season ended at 7-10 and out of the playoffs, all falling with the signing of head coach Mike McCarthy’s five-year contract.

Continuing through this injury-plagued season, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones complimented the job McCarthy did in holding this team together with duct tape, along with his three straight 12-5 seasons, including the first three consecutive playoff appearances of a Cowboys head coaches date back to Barry Switzer from 1994-96 and Jimmy Johnson from 1991-93.

Just a blip on the historical radar of Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry, whose NFL record 20-game winning streak from 1966-85 included postseason streaks of eight seasons from 1966-73 and nine seasons from 1975 -83. Again, another NFL era.

And McCarthy, who had posted a 49-35 regular-season record over the last five seasons and went 1-3 in the playoffs, said he “absolutely” wanted to come back to essentially end it job he was hired to do. And it was to improve the franchise’s chances of winning in the postseason, to the point of adding a second Super Bowl appearance to the one he had already won in the 2010 season in Green Bay.

But by noon Monday, when the Cowboys’ exclusive contract negotiation rights with McCarthy ended at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, the two sides parted ways, with negotiations going nowhere on an extension. Jones issued a statement at 2:34 p.m. Monday, in which he noted in part that “it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to go in a different direction,” since it previously seemed mutually clear that they would stay together.

Well, contract negotiations apparently made this mutually acceptable path too sticky.

Jerry likely wasn’t willing to commit guaranteed money over the five-year stretch new head coaches have signed over the past year, which surely McCarthy’s agent, Don Yee, was after. As pointed out last week, when someone asked what on earth could be a deadlock, my answer was simple:

Remember, newly hired Denver head coach Sean Payton was signed to a deal averaging $18 million per year. Newly hired Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was signed to a deal averaging $16 million per year. Heck, Lions head coach Dan Campbell checks in at $11 million.

Those salary rankings for head coaches had McCarthy’s $4 million average ranking tied for 15th^th. He certainly wanted a raise knowing he lost quarterback Dak Prescott for the year during his only two losing seasons. And remember, as pointed out on Friday, missing a healthy and legit franchise quarterback is the common thread in every losing season the Cowboys have endured since the 6-10 1997 season in which Troy Aikman started every one of the 16 games.

So average, length and guarantees became the stumbling blocks that overwhelmed the original desires of both sides. Perhaps the Joneses also wanted to know if McCarthy would be amenable to returning to being a walk-around head coach with a new offensive coordinator, which might not be to Mike’s liking.

Here’s the other twist: While teams would have to ask the Cowboys’ permission to approach McCarthy for interviews until the Cowboys’ exclusive negotiating rights would expire at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday, that certainly didn’t stop his agent from doing his homework on other teams’ potential interest. Hey, why else do you think the Chicago Bears, casting a big head coaching net out there, asked permission to talk to Mike about their opening?

His side wanted the Cowboys to know McCarthy potentially had options. And don’t rule out the Saints also being interested, as McCarthy had worked as the offensive coordinator for general manager Mickey Loomis in New Orleans back in 2000-04.

So here we go, the Cowboys begin the search for the franchise’s 10th head coach. And don’t think for a minute that any of this has caught Jerry Jones by surprise. We are talking Mr. retailer. Don’t you think so? Ask anyone who has ever negotiated business deals with Jones. The Cowboys certainly have their list of top candidates in their back pocket. Perhaps they have also done their own backdoor reconnaissance.

But now remember that not only do the Cowboys have to hire a head coach, but they also have to replace the guy who runs the offense and calls the plays that McCarthy has been making for the last two seasons after deciding he wanted to take it on responsibility from Kellen Moore, the young offensive coordinator now with the Eagles.

And don’t just assume that the new head coach will also be the offensive coordinator. Maybe Jones just wants a “head coach,” not a coordinator who has never been a head coach before. But then that candidate knows better who he can hire to lead the offense, possibly even the defense, and who knows, special teams as well, as the Cowboys’ assistant coaching contracts also expire.

The Cowboys now become one of six teams on the head coaching search, joining the Bears, Saints, Jets, Raiders and Jaguars. At least the Cowboys have their proven franchise quarterback in Dak Prescott. Chicago is hoping Caleb Williams has their first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. The rest? Well, not so much, and probably the main reason they’re looking for the next main man.

As pointed out on Friday, you can’t fake the quarterback position.

So this Cowboys job would be quite desirable, without a restrictive salary cap. And with all the assistant coaching contracts expiring, the new guy could structure his own staff. Don’t kid yourself, staffs are an important component. And you can’t pick guys. They must be available.

Once again, the offseason is never “off” around these parts. And with a completely different meaning, having nothing to do with the impending snap count …