COWBOYS
Mike McCarthy’s contract situation: How much does he make and how many years are left?
Jerry Jones is letting Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy’s contract play out its final year, putting the pressure on to do well in the postseason.
When the Cowboys finally parted ways with former head coach Jason Garrett after nine seasons, owner Jerry Jones quite quickly put his faith in Mike McCarthy to end their NFC title game drought and bring them postseason success. He was given five years to do so, and that time is quickly coming to an end, with no NFC Championship in sight.
Mike McCarthy’s contract situation with the Cowboys
In 2020, McCarthy signed a 5-year deal with the Cowboys to become their head coach after 13 seasons as the coach for the Green Bay Packers. He took the Packers to nine postseasons, five division titles, and two Super Bowls, including one Super Bowl victory. Jerry Jones was hoping he could do the same for the Cowboys.
Instead, in those five years, McCarthy brought a stretch of regular season success and an unfortunate lack of postseason success. He took the Cowboys to three straight seasons with 12 wins, something only Tom Landry had ever done before, and two NFC East titles over the last three seasons, something no other Dallas coach has done. He made the great decision to hire Dan Quinn as defensive coordinator, and he’s maximized on Dak Prescott’s talent. And yet, he’s gone 1-3 in the postseason, keeping the 29-year conference title drought in tact.
Just days after the Cowboys were destroyed in the first round of playoffs against McCarthy’s former team in a 48-32 loss to the Packers, Jones announced that he would be bringing McCarthy back for the final year of his 5-year contract - meaning, no extension and an expiring contract looming. Jones believes that in doing so, McCarthy will feel the pressure to perform his best and take the Cowboys to postseason success. He has not at all set him up for that success...but I digress. More on that here.
So, as McCarthy heads into the final year of his contract without an extension, how he performs in the regular season really won’t matter. It’s what happens (if anything) in the playoffs that could determine his future in Dallas.