FRISCO, Texas — Mike McCarthy has give you totally different themes for every Dallas Cowboys season. In 2023, it was “Carpe Omnia,” Latin for seize every part.
With proprietor and common supervisor Jerry Jones bringing McCarthy again for a fifth season, the top coach may not need to put a lot thought into the 2024 theme.
How does “All or Nothing” sound?
McCarthy signed a five-year cope with the Cowboys in 2020, and there was no phrase of any form of extension being agreed to when the coach met with Jones on Wednesday.
Add in that quarterback Dak Prescott additionally shall be coming into the ultimate 12 months of his contract with the Cowboys, and it’s shaping up as, properly, all or nothing.
The Cowboys have time to work on a Prescott extension between now and the beginning of the season, however he’s set to depend $59.4 million in opposition to the wage cap. With out an extension or the addition of voidable years to Prescott’s contract, it will be tough for the Cowboys so as to add free brokers or retain their very own key gamers. However Prescott has gone eight years because the starter and has a 2-5 postseason document with out an look in a convention title sport.
The Cowboys must weigh the significance of signing him to a deal that will make him among the many highest-paid quarterbacks within the sport — within the $50 million-a-year neighborhood — with out confirmed playoff success, whereas additionally understanding they can’t place the franchise tag on him in 2025.
There are different questions to think about with McCarthy returning:
Why maintain McCarthy?
He has a 42-25 document. He has received two NFC East titles previously three seasons. With McCarthy calling performs this season for the primary time in his tenure with the Cowboys, Prescott responded together with his finest marketing campaign, main the NFL in landing passes (36) a 12 months after he tied for the lead in interceptions (15) regardless of lacking 5 video games with a damaged thumb.
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The Cowboys have made the playoffs in three straight seasons, which they hadn’t performed since a six-year run from 1991 to 1996 that included wins in Tremendous Bowls XXVII, XXVIII and XXX. McCarthy turned the primary coach in crew historical past to publish three straight 12-win seasons, although a few of that is because of taking part in a 17-game schedule. With McCarthy because the playcaller in 2023, the Cowboys completed No. 1 in factors per sport (29.9) and No. 5 in yards (371.6).
In the end, nonetheless, McCarthy shall be judged on his postseason success. Thus far, he has misplaced within the first spherical of the playoffs twice — each at AT&T Stadium — together with Sunday’s 48-32 embarrassment in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
Was there any consideration to creating a change?
If there was, it was saved quiet. Jones might have made overtures to Invoice Belichick, who received six Tremendous Bowls earlier than parting methods with the New England Patriots, or Jim Harbaugh, who simply received a nationwide championship at Michigan and beforehand took the San Francisco 49ers to a Tremendous Bowl. Former Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel might have been an alternative choice to think about.
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As a lot as Jones is taken into account impulsive and a risk-taker, he has not made a serious transfer since buying and selling up within the first spherical to take cornerback Morris Claiborne and signing cornerback Brandon Carr to an enormous deal in free company in 2012.
Jones turns 82 subsequent season. He needs to win one other championship. Considering he would have made a play for an up-and-coming offensive coach, comparable to Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson or Houston Texans offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik, can be a stretch. He cannot look forward to a younger coach to study the ropes. He did that with Jason Garrett.
What about the remainder of the teaching workers?
Dan Quinn is interviewing with 5 groups (Carolina Panthers, Washington Commanders, Tennessee Titans, Los Angeles Chargers, Seattle Seahawks) relating to head-coaching vacancies, so the Cowboys might be in search of a defensive coordinator in a matter of days or perhaps weeks.
Do the Cowboys have any individual on workers able to turn into the coordinator, comparable to Joe Whitt Jr., who has been the defensive passing sport coordinator since 2020, or defensive position coach Aden Durde or secondary coach Al Harris?
May an outdoor coordinator be an choice, comparable to Wink Martindale, who spent the previous two seasons with the New York Giants?
The one different place coach who’s unsigned is broad receivers coach Robert Prince. Each different place coach is signed by way of 2024, which matched up with McCarthy’s authentic deal.
One other signal that 2024 is all or nothing.
