3 Cowboys With the Most to Gain Over Final 5 Games of the Season
It's hard to imagine that the 2024 NFL season is nearly over but here we are. Only five games remain on the Dallas Cowboys' schedule as they head into Week 14 with a 5-7 record, leaving time to tell what sort of momentum America's Team can build down the stretch.
Even though the Cowboys likely aren't making the playoffs, that doesn't mean the final handful of games are meaningless. After all, the final stretch is an important time of the season as it can make or break an individual's chances of returning to the franchise in 2025.
A strong performance at the end of the season could make the world of difference for a few Cowboys, so here's a look at the five who have the most to gain in the next five games.
1. Mike McCarthy, HC
Few Cowboys have more to gain than head coach Mike McCarthy throughout the upcoming five weeks.
The 60-year-old coach is in the final year of his contract that he signed with the Cowboys back in 2020. Although the franchise has a respectable 47-32 regular-season record behind Dallas' bench, a 1-3 postseason record already had McCarthy on thin ice and the 5-7 start to the 2024 campaign hasn't done much to improve his job security.
With owner/general manager Jerry Jones being against in-season firings, McCarthy will have the final five outings to prove that he deserves a second contract. Beating division rivals like the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders could do him some favors, however, failure against the NFC East rivals could also torpedo his re-signing odds.
But even if the Cowboys win more than they lose down the stretch, re-signing McCarthy still might not be the best idea. Winning meaningless games doesn't change the fact that the team hasn't come close to sniffing a Super Bowl since he took over behind the bench. Would another few seasons really make a difference?
Nevertheless, McCarthy has the next five weeks to prove his doubters wrong. A brief successful run might be all he needs to delude Jones into offering him another deal, emphasizing just how much the veteran head coach has to gain.