Getty Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy
After leading the Dallas Cowboys to a 12-5 record, it is hard to imagine head coach Mike McCarthy is on the hot seat. Yet, there is plenty of buzz about the Cowboys potentially firing McCarthy if the team loses to the 49ers in the Wild Card Round.
CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora reported owner Jerry Jones thinks so highly of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore that he would consider promoting him to head coach if the Cowboys have a disappointing showing in the playoffs. Moore has been a popular candidate for NFL head coaching vacancies, and the insider believes Jones’ only chance to retain the assistant may be to give him the Cowboys gig.
“Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones may consider a coaching change should the team fall short of expectations this season, league sources said, with both of his top assistants to head coach Mike McCarthy drawing serious head coaching interest from other teams,” La Canfora detailed onJanuary 15. “Several sources who know Jones well indicated that a loss in the wild card round would prompt Jones to at least consider the direction of the team as coordinators Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore prepare for numerous head coaching interviews.
“Jones has long been a huge proponent of Moore’s and believed early on in the young coach’s ability to mold an offense, work with quarterbacks and call plays. Dak Prescott has done his best work with Moore in charge and Jones is very comfortable with the coordinator’s demeanor and progress, viewing him internally as a future head coach as well. Losing Moore would be viewed by the Jones family as a significant departure, and although McCarthy has won a Lombardi Trophy, he took the job knowing Jones wanted to keep Moore as coordinator. McCarthy’s two-year tenure has also been filled with plenty of ups and downs.”
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Moore Would be the Cowboys’ Top Choice If the Team Fired McCarthy: Report
La Canfora cited sources suggesting that the Cowboys could make Moore their next head coach “much sooner than later.” This would be a surprising turn giving McCarthy just two seasons. La Canfora detailed some of his conversations with NFL sources and revealed why there is speculation about Moore’s future.
“If this season doesn’t end the way Jerry thinks it should, don’t be surprised if Kellen Moore is their next head coach much sooner than later,” said one source who knows Jones well. “He does not want to lose him.”
…Another source close to the owner added: “It’s not like there isn’t precedent for something like this. Remember what they did to keep Jason Garrett. It wouldn’t be out of character at all.”
Cowboys Insider Shot Down Speculation About McCarthy Losing His Job
All this is speculation as the Cowboys are one of the top contenders to win the NFC heading into the postseason. These reports could look foolish if the Cowboys make a deep playoff run.
As for the Cowboys’ history with such bold moves, Jones was able to keep Garrett from taking the Ravens’ head coaching job in 2008, instead keeping him on staff as the team’s offensive coordinator. Dallas clearly made Garrett a promise to eventually become the Cowboys head coach. The team fired Wade Phillips in 2010 and promoted Garrett to the head coaching position.
Not everyone is buying the idea that McCarthy’s job is anything but safe heading into 2022. Sports Illustrated’s Mike Fisher shot down the “when-pigs-fly” reports that McCarthy’s job is in danger.
“#JerryJones has ABSOLUTELY NOT ‘told multiple people’ of his deviously secret plan to fire coach McCarthy,” Fisher tweeted on January 15. “There are, as I’ve noted, ‘When-pigs-fly’ #Cowboys scenarios.”
Regardless of McCarthy’s status, the Cowboys coaching staff is likely to look different in 2022. Moore and defensive coordinator Dan Quinn are generating interest across the NFL for head coaching openings. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported that Quinn has “emerged as the favorite” to be the Broncos next head coach.