Stephen A. Smith mutes Dak Prescott’s opinion on extending Mike McCarthy
Dak Prescott and Mike McCarthy have been tied together at the hip for about half a decade. In three of the last five years, McCarthy's team won 12 games, setting the stage for the next phase of his career. The question is whether it comes in Dallas.
Cowboys GM Jerry Jones has taken the scenic route on extending the contract, but McCarthy's quarterback has done what he could to press Jones to extend his coach.
Speaking in a clip via Yahoo Sports and ESPN, Prescott talked about McCarthy's "influence" on his next deal.
"I believe in him wholeheartedly," Prescott said on First Take [00:17 onwards] "I think he definitely deserves a chance, another contract, and a chance to coach this team amongst and kinda, I guess you could say, more influence on his terms may be a good way to say it, but I wholeheartedly believe in him," he added.
Smith didn't take it kindly to hear the quarterback's thoughts on McCarthy's leverage in negotiations. (from 02:03 onwards)
"Dak Prescott has had opportunities to make sure you could quell such a momentum when he was on the field of play and when it came around playoff time. He didn't do that. So I don't care what he has to say," Smith said.
Dak Prescott is slated to miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury and depending on how things go, he could have played his last game with McCarthy.
Mike McCarthy eyes miraculous run to potentially extend Cowboys career
Mike McCarthy is in somewhat of a rare position. Most head coaches meet their end through firing. However, Jerry Jones has elected to potentially let McCarthy's contract expire naturally.
As such, every game that the Cowboys stay alive is potentially another week of work for McCarthy. If the Dak Prescott-less Cowboys can make a run at the playoffs by playing perfectly down the stretch, his career with the team could linger on a week-to-week basis.
Additionally, with every positive step with Cooper Rush, McCarthy improves his leverage with Jones and his market value overall. The Cowboys face two teams under .500 and three teams at .500 or better to close the year. Their next two games line up the under .500 teams, while the final three games feature three teams above .499.
Will Dallas rally around Mike McCarthy for one last push? Could the next month determine his future for the next several years?
If any of the above quotes are used, credit "First Take" and H/T Sportskeeda.