NFL insider claims Mike McCarthy is off the hot seat after back-to-back wins
Mike McCarthy was on the hot seat during the middle of the season after the Dallas Cowboys struggled to win. Their star QB, Dak Prescott, whom owner Jerry Jones had rewarded with a huge contract extension, had been ruled out for the rest of the season, and McCarthy had to make do with backup QBs.
While they are not in playoff contention, the Cowboys (7-8) can end the season with a winning record if they win their final two games.
Despite the midseason slump, the Cowboys seemed to be experiencing a surge, recording back-to-back wins. This has led Diana Russini, The Athletic's NFL insider, to believe that he is off the hot seat and is no more in danger of being jobless after this season.
"They weren't winning, they seemed lost and now they're surging," Russini told Colin Cowherd on Thursday. "And their offense is clicking. So, why are you going to move on to a guy who's won this many games for you? Perhaps maybe not in the big dance, but he's got all the right things."
She also added that should Jerry Jones not give McCarthy an extension, the market for McCarthy is hot.
"And I can tell you, if Mike McCarthy were to get dismissed, there will be teams interested in bringing Mike McCarthy in for an interview."
However, it would be best for Mike McCarthy to not get too overconfident. When Bill Belichick was fired by Robert Kraft from the New England Patriots, everyone assumed the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach would get calls from many teams to be their coach. However, only the Atlanta Falcons interviewed him, and he spent 2024 out of the NFL.
3-time Pro Bowl wideout also believes the Cowboys should stick with Mike McCarthy
Keyshawn Johnson, in a recent episode of "Speak," said that Mike McCarthy has a winning record and should be given the opportunity to work on his mistakes and rebuild the Dallas locker room.
“All I’m saying is the man did go 49-33," Johnson said. "He’s 1-3 in the postseason, which is not great. He has won two division titles. But there are coaches around the league who get an opportunity to make some mistakes and rebuild the thing back up to where it needs to be."
Jerry Jones seems to be in agreement as he has repeatedly expressed confidence in his coach and said that he wasn't going anywhere.