Still reeling from their latest humiliating playoff defeat, the Dallas Cowboys are busy picking up the pieces as they prepare for the 2023 offseason. But before Dallas dives into the thick of free agency and preparation for the 2023 NFL Draft, head coach Mike McCarthy had a few choice words while reflecting on the year that was during a Thursday press conference.
When McCarthy was asked about his future after two consecutive deflating defeats in January, he noted he had a vote of confidence from owner Jerry Jones. Scratch that — he seemed to have a full endorsement.
Per McCarthy, Jones apparently wants him to coach the Cowboys as long as the legendary Tom Landry, who was once at the helm of Dallas for almost three decades.
Uh, alright?
Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said that Jerry Jones has told him he wants McCarthy to coach here in Dallas as long as Tom Landry did.
Three years down, 26 to go. pic.twitter.com/z0FyWYcItJ
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 26, 2023
The absurdity of someone McCarthy lasting as long in Dallas as its arguably greatest-ever coach aside, it doesn’t look as bad when you note Landry’s initial resume. Under Landry, the Cowboys didn’t have a winning season during his first six years (!) in Dallas in the 1960s. But, eventually, the man famous for wearing a top hat on the sideline turned the Cowboys into a perennial powerhouse for the better part of his head coaching career until his ouster in the late 1980s.
In 2023, I sincerely doubt McCarthy matches Landry’s longevity, let alone comes close. The Cowboys, as constructed, are more or less ready to win titles now. Jones might say he wants McCarthy to lead his team for years to come, but most won’t so readily accept postseason shortcomings with squads that should theoretically fare better. Landry’s Cowboys were so horrid at the start because he was enlisted with the mammoth task of bringing them to their current relevance in the first place.
That is not the case for McCarthy. At all.
To continue coaching the Cowboys, McCarthy will probably have to learn how to manage a late-game situation in a tight playoff game properly. Something he, rather ironically, hasn’t done in decades around pro football.
But if Jones desires more extended mid-winter misery, by all means, McCarthy might be the perfect delivery person for such a mission. Of course, Jones could just be ensuring McCarthy stays comfortable in his current digs. But then again, this is the owner who kept Jason Garrett on for a decade despite just two whole playoff wins. So, I wouldn’t put it past him!