ARLINGTON, TEXAS – JANUARY 02: Head coach Mike McCarthy of the Dallas Cowboys looks on from the sideline during the second quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at AT&T Stadium on January 02, 2022 in Arlington, Texas.
Mike McCarthy’s days in Dallas might be numbered.
If the Cowboys fall short of postseason expectations, owner Jerry Jones would seriously consider replacing McCarthy, with all signs pointed toward offensive coordinator Kellen Moore as his pick to take over the sidelines, CBS’s Jason La Canfora reports.
McCarthy spent 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, leading them to six regular-season division titles, three NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl win. He was fired midway through the 2018 season, following a 20-17 loss to the Cardinals and back-to-back losing seasons.
After a one-year hiatus, self-proclaimed the “McCarthy Project,” the Cowboys hired McCarthy in 2020 as the ninth coach in franchise history.
His time in Dallas hasn’t been without its ups and downs.
In his first season with the Cowboys, they failed to improve on their 8-8 record the season before, going 6-10 and finishing third in the NFC East. He was also fined $50,000 in the offseason due to violating practice rules during organized team activity.
The Cowboys opened this season with a narrow 31-29 loss to the Buccaneers on the road, before rattling off six straight wins. They dropped three of their four matchups in November, but bounced back to win five of their final six regular season games. Their 12-5 record earned them a No. 3 seed matchup against the San Francisco 49ers in the wild card round this Sunday.
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Moore, who spent five years in the league as a player, ending his career in Dallas, has risen up the coaching ranks, spending one year as quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offensive coordinator. He and fellow Cowboys assistant coach Dan Quinn have recently emerged on the short list of several teams looking to fill their head coaching vacancy. Quinn previously served as head coach of the Falcons from 2015 to 2020.
Jones recently weighed in on Moore’s qualification while visiting Dallas radio show “The Fan,” commenting that while there are obvious concerns about Moore’s lack of head coaching experience, “there are other qualities that will come out while you’re gaining that experience that sometimes may be better than the experience.”
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La Canfora reported that Moore has built up a strong rapport with Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his demeanor has won over Jones as a future head coach within the organization.
With McCarthy’s spotty record on display and Moore inevitably being wooed by teams around the league, that personnel change could come sooner than expected.
