The honeymoon appears long over in Dallas.
Head coach Mike McCarthy has apparently grown frustrated over the Cowboys’ brain trust, particularly the notion of owner Jerry Jones undermining him, according to a new report.
“He’s doing it the best he can,” an ex-Cowboys personnel man recently said, per Tyler Dunne of Go Long. “Some of the people I’ve talked to have said that he’s getting fed up with it a little bit.
“It’s hard. I feel bad for [quarterback] Dak [Prescott]. I think Dak’s a really good quarterback who is capable of taking a team to the Super Bowl. He’s got to overcome a lot of things.”
It’s been a head-scratching offseason in Dallas, with the Cowboys failing to extend Prescott, who is poised to become a free agent after this season.
Dallas also saw some of its talent walk through the door during free agency, with center Tyler Biadasz and running back Tony Pollard leaving for the Commanders and Titans, respectively.
The report noted that “current players are more concerned about Jerry Jones than their own head coach,” as indicated by high-ranking Cowboys lieutenants, over the notion that “ownership can undermine the head coach at any moment,” via Yahoo Sports.
The personnel source added, “So that means you can get a talented team like they’ve had but they’re going to underachieve when the coaches can’t influence the players the way they need to.”
The Cowboys entered last season with lofty expectations following a disappointing divisional-round playoff ouster during the 2022 postseason.
Despite finishing the 2023 season at 12-5 and claiming the NFC East title, Dallas once again fell short in the playoffs, getting embarrassed by the Packers at home in a 48-32 wild-card loss.
Questions then began swirling about McCarthy’s job security, which Jones, 81, eventually quieted by confirming the 60-year-old head coach will be returning for 2024, the final year of his contract.
It was reported in January that McCarthy — who became the Cowboys’ head coach in 2020 — would not receive an extension, something the former Cowboys personnel found perplexing.
“At least give him a one-year extension. You may not have to give him another five years, but at least extend them out one year and extend out all the coaches one year to give them a level of security,” the individual said, per Sports Illustrated.
The seat has never been hotter for McCarthy, whose Cowboys will kick off the regular season in Cleveland against the Browns on Sept. 8.
