Cowboys not giving Mike McCarthy new contract for one reason

The Dallas Cowboys are bringing head coach Mike McCarthy back for 2024, but he is not getting a significant vote of confidence beyond that.

The Cowboys have no plans to make any adjustments to McCarthy’s contract as he enters the final year of the deal, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The reason is that owner Jerry Jones believes that the added challenge of being in the final year of one’s contract can bring out the best in people.

There had been some speculation that the Cowboys might tack an extra year onto McCarthy’s contract if only to avoid the appearance of him being a lame duck. 

There is precedent for Jones in operating this way, as previous coach Jason Garrett was put in the same situation twice. The first time he went 12-4 in 2014, but the second time he went 8-8 and was not brought back after the 2019 season.

An extra contract year was unlikely to change the narrative around McCarthy anyway. The coach’s regular season record with the Cowboys is what saved his job, but it’s fair to assume Jones will want to see progress in the playoffs in 2024 if he is to extend McCarthy.