Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy Warned About ‘Hot Seat’ Before 2024 NFL Season

Getty Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy

The Dallas Cowboys are entering an all-important season, and no one is facing more pressure to succeed than head coach Mike McCarthy. The Cowboys head coach has made the playoff three times in the past four years, but has just one win to show for it.

Now, Dallas is entering a make-or-break year. For Sports Illustrated writer Karl Rasmussen, McCarthy is such a clear-cut “hot seat” candidate that he is the first listed in his September 5 article.

“Jerry Jones is impatient. And with each passing year that the Cowboys go without a Super Bowl, that patience wears even thinner. McCarthy is entering his fifth season as the head coach in Dallas,” Rasmussen wrote. “2024 could be a do-or-die year for McCarthy and the Cowboys. The team is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, leaving little reason that the team can’t at least make a run to the Super Bowl.”

After all, the Cowboys are entering the final year of QB Dak Prescott’s contract and also boast a talented defense with stars like LB Micah Parsons and CB Trevon Diggs. The team is clearly playoff worthy, but they’ve yet to shown they can get over the hump.

NFL Agents Speak on Prescott Extension

Speaking of Prescott, the Cowboys QB is entering the final year of a deal that features a no-trade, no-tag clause. After an offseason with no extension, there are now questions of whether or not he will stick with Dallas. For the 31 NFL agents, opinions vary significantly.

18 believe he will re-sign with the Cowboys, while 13 don’t. There’s a clear majority in those numbers, but some of the anonymous comments provide important context.

“Hold the line. Once you start paying guys that crazy money, they effectively own part of a team. You can get a $5 million QB and win eight games. Maybe Jerry is getting hip to that reality,” one agent said.

Most of the other quotes deliver a similar sentiment: the Cowboys have reason to wait.

“The issue is whether Dak is a top-five QB. He was in the regular season, but is he a difference-maker? I think Dallas is doing right by seeing what he’s worth,” another agent replied.

Reported ‘Holdup’ on Cowboys QB’s Extension

While the agents’ quotes don’t seem to signal an extension anytime soon, a recent report from Dianna Russini suggests otherwise. In an episode of the Scoop City podcast, Russini said that her sources are claiming it’s just an issue of contract length.

“The holdup at this point from what I understand is about the years the Dallas Cowboys are willing to commit to,” Russini said on September 3.

Essentially, Dallas is trying to decide how long they want to commit to Prescott as he enters his age-31 season. Prescott wants a long-term deal, but the Cowboys could be wary of committing to that length after the QB’s issues with playoff success.

While the QB is coming off a campaign that earned him second-team All-Pro honors, Prescott is 2-5 in the playoffs with Dallas and has never made an NFC Championship game with the team.