Mike McCarthy Responds to Jerry Jones' Cowboys Contract Comments

Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones is known for giving soundbites that ruffle a few feathers. That's exactly what happened on Tuesday when the 82-year-old billionaire announced that he's open to bringing head coach Mike McCarthy back in 2025 despite the Cowboys sitting in Week 13 with an abysmal 4-7 record.

"I don't think that's crazy at all. This is a Super Bowl-winning coach," Jones said about McCarthy's potential return on 105.3 The Fan. "Mike McCarthy has been there and done that. He has great ideas."

While NFL fans quickly voiced their thoughts about Jones' latest quote, many wondered what McCarthy had to say about his boss' endorsement.

Cowboys News: McCarthy Addresses Jones' Contract Comments

Following Jones' comments, McCarthy told ESPN's Todd Archer that another contract with the Cowboys isn't "something I'm really focused on."

"I really haven't talked about it all year and definitely not going to start on a short week and an important division game," the Dallas head coach said. "But I'm not going to throw away positive vibes, either. So keep them coming. It's all good. But, yeah, that's not something I'm really focused on."

Although McCarthy said he's focusing on the present, it's possible that's nothing more than coach speak. Obviously, the 60-year-old bench boss wasn't going to come out and say that he's worried about not returning in 2025 when the Cowboys have so much going wrong at the moment.

It'd actually be surprising if McCarthy wasn't thinking about his future behind closed doors. He was already on thin ice due to the Cowboys' 1-3 postseason record under his guidance and more cracks grew beneath his feet with the team playing sub-.500 football this season.

At the end of the day, how America's Team finishes the season will decide McCarthy's fate. If the Cowboys are getting blown out left and right down the stretch, it's time to let him go. But if the team looks competitive and busts out a few impressive performances, Jones could be deluded enough into re-signing McCarthy, effectively making him Jason Garrett 2.0 in the process.

McCarthy's next shot at improving his odds of a second Dallas contract comes against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving Day. His outlook (at least for Week 13) is looking promising as the Cowboys are favored by 3.5 points over the Giants on FanDuel Sportsbook.

More Dallas Cowboys news and analysis:

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.