Cowboys Coaching Carousel Tracker As Jones Does Homework

JAN 5 HOMEWORK: Jerry Jones is saying one thing but reportedly doing another.

Color us "shocked.''

We know that coach Mike McCarthy would prefer to return to Dallas in 2025 under the terms of a new contract extension as his present deal is about to run out.

Meanwhile, we have Cowboys owner Jones claiming that thoughts about outside candidates will not be much of a factor as he evaluates the possibility of retaining McCarthy.

But obviously, that is unwise. And untrue. And the truth is, per The Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Cowboys have indeed started doing "homework" on potential candidates in the event they cannot or will not seal a deal with McCarthy before his contract expires on Jan. 14.

Jones has already said nothing that happens in Week 18 is going to have an impact either way on McCarthy's status.

"The hay is in the barn, really, as far as our staff is concerned and the qualities of each of the coaches. I don't think that something that would happen out here Sunday would impact where we are going to be as we go forward," Jones said Friday.

And on those other potential candidates and how much the market might impact the choice of whether to keep McCarthy?

Said Jones, maybe intentionally confounding the listener, "Not a lot. That is a big key. But in this particular case, that is not a big factor.''

McCarthy has as 49-34 record in five seasons with the Cowboys, and coming into this 7-9 season had put together three straight years of 12-5 seasons with playoff appearances.

Is that enough to keep him? That's part of the homework.

JAN 5 SAINTS BUZZ As much as possible given his delicate circumstances, Mike McCarthy has made his position perfectly clear: He'd like to win today in Week 18 here at AT&T Stadium to close the season against Washington ...

And then he'd like to win again at the negotiating table with the Jones family to secure a contract extension into 2025 and beyond.

"Yeah, I hope so,'' McCarthy said on Friday when asked about whether he might stay in Dallas. "I hope so, to be honest with you.''

But agent Don Yee it seems has other ideas.

While sources have made it clear to CowboysCountry.com that McCarthy has yet to meet with Jerry and Stephen Jones about his Cowboys future - that decision should be made one way or another in the coming days, with the coach's contract set to expire on January 14 - Yee has been putting down the groundwork for a McCarthy move to another NFL team.

While some in the national media have dutifully made mention of the openings with the Chicago Bears and the New York Jets, sources tell us that Yee has already made contact with power brokers in an attempt to forge a path for McCarthy to take over the New Orleans Saints.

Read more about McCarthy and the Saints here.

JAN 4 MAHOMES' MENTOR? Our Richie Whitt explains here why "the next head coach of the Dallas Cowboys could very well be on the sidelines for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Washington Commanders.

Mike McCarthy? Definite maybe. Kliff Kingsbury? Throw his hat in the ring, too.

Read more here.

JAN 4 MCCARTHY'S HELL ESPN is talking about whether McCarthy should even want to return to Dallas, and former Cowboys defensive lineman Marcus Spears has a hot take.

"I say no," Spears said. "It has nothing to do with me not thinking he can coach this team it's ... it's just too much. This dude has been through Hell."

Part of the Cowboys "hell'' is that shocking blowout loss to the Packers in the playoffs a year ago. That created a "Blow It Up'' plan on the part of management. 

Is a 7-9 record and "Blow It Up'' the equivalent of "hell''?

"He won 12 games three games in a row and all we talked about was that he should fired," Spear said. "Mike McCarthy should be ready to go. I don't think he's cooked as a head coach. But the situation he's in in Dallas ... he's finally figured out that he's never going to have full autonomy. He should want to get out and put his own stamp on a franchise."

With all due respect to Spears: There is no job opening that will provide McCarthy "full autonomy.'' And as a matter of fact, he has infinitely more authority in Dallas regarding personnel matters, for instance, than he ever had in Green Bay.

So, maybe not all that "hellish.''

JAN 3 JERRY ON JON We trust NFL insider Tom Pelissero, who is among the first to mention Jon Gruden coming out of mothballs and being a target. .. of somebody's.

We're not sure we trust CBS Sports, which is connecting Gruden to Dallas and seems to be urging the Cowboys on here.

In fact, Jerry doesn’t seem too locked in on such an idea.

“I don’t have any comment here at all," Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan. "Seriously, one way or the other. Jon is a friend, but let’s leave it at that.”