Mike McCarthy Will Be Coaching For His Life After Contract Extension News

The Dallas Cowboys had plenty of questions they needed to answer heading into the offseason after an epic collapse against the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs. One of the main ones was regarding head coach Mike McCarthy and his future with the franchise. The Cowboys seem to have answered it by keeping him around, but only for one more year.

Ever since owner Jerry Jones announced earlier in the week that McCarthy would return in 2024, there was an expectation that his contract might be adjusted considering he had one year left in his deal.

The latest reporting by Adam Schefter, however, suggests that McCarthy is going to enter the season on an expiring contract.

Cowboys News: Mike McCarthy Is Not Getting A Contract Extension

According to Schefter, Jones believes that a person in the last year of a contract is "challenged in a different way" and can "bring out the best in people". We know this because he has done the same thing with McCarthy's predecessor Jason Garrett, who coached in the final year of his contract twice.

Yet, the results were a mixed bag. In 2014, it worked out and he received a five-year extension. In 2019, it didn't and he got replaced by McCarthy.

This is a repeat of the same situation. McCarthy is entering his fifth year, has failed to take the Cowboys over the hump, and will coach for his life next season.

Even though McCarthy's regular-season success is undeniable as he has taken the Cowboys to three straight playoffs and became the first coach in team history to have three straight 12-win seasons, he was brought on to lead them to postseason success. That hasn't come to fruition just yet.

McCarthy had said that he is more motivated by legacy than money and doesn't mind entering the final year of a contract. However, there will certainly be ripple effects of this situation.

Dak Prescott is also on an expiring contract, and the uncertainty surrounding the two biggest names in the locker room will hang over the team all year. This uncertainty might make recruiting coaches and free agents in the offseason more challenging.

Whether the lack of extension will light a fire under McCarthy and Prescott and bring success or the Cowboys' Super Bowl drought will extend to 29 years remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that this was not the offseason the Cowboys fans had in mind following the early playoff exit.