Cowboys' Huge Week 16 Win Creates Major Jerry Jones Offseason Concern
By Joe Summers
The Cowboys pulled off a dramatic 26-24 victory over the Buccaneers in Week 16, but the victory might ultimately do more harm than good thanks to the biggest question facing the organization in the offseason.
Dallas is eliminated from the playoffs yet still have wins in four of the last five weeks. Head coach Mike McCarthy isn't under contract next year, though this strong stretch might convince Jerry Jones to keep him around.
For the Cowboys' sake, fans are desperately hoping that's not the case. Unfortunately, Jones' comments over the last month suggest he's seriously considering offering McCarthy an extension.
Cowboys' Win Over Bucs Might Convince Jerry Jones to Keep Mike McCarthy
"They got eliminated BEFORE the game, and they in there celebrating like they en-route to the playoffs. This is the damn problem with the Cowboys."@stephenasmith and @shannonsharpe both think the Cowboys will bring Mike McCarthy back next season despite this season's results 👀 pic.twitter.com/PXvVejdGnA
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 23, 2024
It's hard to overstate how much damage these wins have done to Dallas' future outlook. Sure, winning games is the theoretical goal, but the Cowboys have decimated their draft position just to finish outside of the playoffs.
Mediocrity helps no one, and McCarthy has proven over the years that he's overmatched against the best coaches in the NFL. Last year's playoff meltdown against the Packers should've sealed McCarthy's fate, yet this recent stretch of wins could prompt another opportunity.
It is fine that there are some people who believe it is still in the Dallas Cowboys' best interest to move on from Mike McCarthy.
— RJ Ochoa (@rjochoa) December 23, 2024
But it just seems like there is this agenda to fully discredit McCarthy for anything positive that has happened under his watch.
I don't get it.
You can see some in the media and even fans support retaining McCarthy despite several years of evidence that it'd be a poor decision. Recency bias plagues us all, and Jones is certainly susceptible to overlooking past mistakes in favor of recent improvements.
After the win, Dallas now holds the 15th pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Cowboys were in striking distance of a top-five selection before the hot streak, and there's a special irony in the fact that Dallas only started winning games once it was actively a bad idea to do so.
Instead of getting to draft a franchise-changing type of talent, they'll have to strike gold in the middle of the first round instead. Vibes are high in the locker room given the wins, and there's a reasonable argument to be made that this team could've made the playoffs had Dak Prescott not gotten hurt.
Hypotheticals are just that: hypotheticals. It doesn't matter that the Cowboys are winning games with Cooper Rush, all that matters is how it could damage the 2025 season and beyond.
It's becoming increasingly likely that Dallas keeps McCarthy, trapping the Cowboys in the same cycle of mediocrity they've been stuck in since he came on board. Jones has the final say, which should terrify fans. If Dallas picks up a victory over the Eagles or Commanders over the last two weeks, it'll be hard for Jones to swallow his pride and let the beleaguered coach go.
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