Is Mike McCarthy on the Hot Seat in 2023?

Mike McCarthy is no stranger to being unceremoniously ousted from a franchise where he’s had great success. A Super Bowl ring and nine winning seasons weren’t enough to save his Job in Green Bay when the Packers came out of the gate poorly in 2018.

Now, coming off back-to-back 12-win seasons in Dallas, is there any chance the McCarthy finds himself on the hot seat again?

Cowboys Rumors: Mike McCarthy Hot Seat?

Let's start with the obvious reason McCarthy wouldn't be on the hot seat: He has a long track record as a successful NFL head coach, and he's led the Cowboys to two straight 12-5 seasons. Those were the first back-to-back seasons with double-digit wins in Dallas since the 1991-1996 stretch.

But it's never that simple, especially when Jerry Jones is in the fold.

First of all, winning double-digit games and contending for the top spot in the NFC East is pretty much what is expected from the Cowboys right now. This roster is absolutely loaded with talent (something McCarthy inherited, not something he built), and failing to win at least 10 or 11 games each season would be a straight up disappointment.

Second, regular season success is really not the ultimate goal for this franchise. If a team is capable of winning 12 games it should be capable of making a deep playoff run. Failing to do that once could just be a blip, but twice is starting to become a trend. Having just one playoff win and not making even the NFC Championship either season? That's not what anyone in Dallas wants to see.

So here we are in 2023 now. McCarthy once again has an absolutely loaded roster. Jerry Jones has made sure Zack Martin gets back on the field. He's extended Trevon Diggs to keep him happy. He's got Tony Pollard back and willing to play on the franchise tag. He's tried to light a fire under Dak Prescott by adding Trey Lance.

Another early playoff exit with this roster would be a really poor showing for McCarthy, and with the national attention the Cowboys receive it will lead to some very loud calls for his job.

And what about if the Cowboys get off to a bad start? Or if they totally flop in the regular season and miss the playoffs? Unless that comes as a result of something like another Dak Prescott injury, it would be mighty difficult to justify why McCarthy should get another chance.

I'm not saying McCarthy is definitely going to be fired, or that it's Super Bowl-or-bust for his future in Dallas. But the voices calling for his job are absolutely going to start if he has more issues this season, and as unpredictable as he is, Jerry could be one of those voices.

McCarthy is certainly on the hot seat, and the only thing that will truly avoid that is finally making the deep playoff run that this Cowboys roster is capable of.