Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones stirred the pot during his weekly radio appearance, reigniting speculation about the future of head coach Mike McCarthy. Jones’s comments regarding McCarthy’s offensive strategies have led many fans and former players, including Cowboys legend Dez Bryant, to question whether it’s time for a coaching change.
Jones suggested that McCarthy may struggle to design effective plays, a statement that didn’t go unnoticed by Bryant. On X, Bryant stated, “Should have kept Dan Quinn and made him the head coach. These old ways is no longer in style for this new age of football,” reflecting a growing sentiment among some fans that McCarthy’s tenure may be coming to an end.
Dez Bryant blasts Mike McCarthy for Cowboys’ struggles and looks for a change https://t.co/CUzhPEjQU7
— NFL Buzz (@nfl_buzzfeed) October 24, 2024
Jones expressed frustration with both play design and execution, saying, “We’re designing bad plays, or we’re designing bad concepts. The facts are that there’s some of that, but there’s also some execution issues.” He acknowledged the potential of young talent but noted that mistakes often accompany inexperience.
Mike McCarthy working on the offense from March until the season’s Bye Week every year pic.twitter.com/hWUTQoQja1
— Cowboys Nation (@CowboysNation) October 23, 2024
McCarthy, however, defended his coaching, indicating he disagrees with Jones’s assessment. “I talk to Jerry all the time. We have time to go through self-scout, so I didn’t see the comments specifically. (But) I don’t think we have bad concepts and bad plays. I’ll go back and check,” he stated, indicating his commitment to improving the team’s performance.
Jerry Jones chatted about the problems with this Dallas Cowboys team #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/QwqosfEOG3
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 24, 2024
Adding to the criticism, Cowboys great Troy Aikman pinpointed poor route-running as a significant issue. “I think they run terrible routes. CeeDee’s gotta improve his route running. And a quarterback, if you’re not certain where your guys are going to be consistently, it is hard to play the position,” Aikman noted. He added that some players appear to lack urgency, saying, “I see guys coming off lazy from the line of scrimmage. I am not speaking for Dak but as a former quarterback watching it, it has got to be a lot better.”
Psychologically this is most important must-win regular season game in Mike McCarthy’s tenure as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and I don’t think that’s an overstatement…
If the Cowboys don’t beat the 49ers on Sunday…#DallasCowboys pic.twitter.com/V9FBq4bwX2
— Kevin Gray Jr. (@KevinGraySports) October 25, 2024
Mike McCarthy: “We’re just a poorly coached team.” https://t.co/J23lBFHDav
— J Moyer (@JMoyerFB) October 14, 2024
In response to Aikman’s critique, McCarthy dismissed the weight of external opinions, asserting, “They don’t carry weight with me, because I watch all the tape. I am part of the game, so I have a clear understanding of what and where. I mean, I don’t agree with Troy’s word selection.”
With the Cowboys currently struggling, the pressure is mounting on McCarthy. Although there is still time to turn the season around, the clock is ticking. The prospect of Bill Belichick potentially stepping into the head coaching role in 2025 looms large, raising the stakes for McCarthy and his team.
Will McCarthy find a way to salvage the season, or are the Cowboys heading toward a major shake-up in the coaching staff? Only time will tell, but one thing is clear: the scrutiny on McCarthy is intensifying with each passing week.
While owner Jerry Jones remains committed to Mike McCarthy, many around the league wonder if Dallas could become the primary landing spot for Bill Belichick this offseason, should the #Cowboys decide to make a change. According to multiple sources, Belichick has a “really great”… pic.twitter.com/VKwUkvHy3w
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 14, 2024
