ESPN: Cowboys' Mike McCarthy will be 'most watched' head coach this year

Kickoff to the 2022 NFL is just over two weeks away. On Tuesday, NFL Nation compiled its preseason power rankings, which also included "one person in each organization — coach, general manager or player — who is firmly on the hot seat as the season starts."

Among the head coaches listed on the hot seat were Frank Reich of the 14th-ranked Indianapolis Colts, Kevin Stefanski of the 17th-ranked Cleveland Browns, Kliff Kingsbury of the 18th-ranked Arizona Cardinals and Matt Rhule of the 29th-ranked Carolina Panthers. The lead man who is perhaps most unsurprising to make the list though is Mike McCarthy of the No. 10 Dallas Cowboys.

"It's been this way since last season ended, and nothing has changed since, despite Jerry Jones' constant backing. McCarthy will be the most watched head coach this year because of the Sean Payton shadow and the way Jones took care of defensive coordinator Dan Quinn," ESPN's Todd Archer wrote. "It's as if the Cowboys did not win 12 games last year, as the residue from the playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers has not disappeared. To his credit, McCarthy has not allowed the outside discussions of his job to impact how he coaches. Players say he has remained the same with them in temperament and in his demands."

In late July, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was adamant in his support for McCarthy, saying that the third-year coach was "the man to lead" the team to the Super Bowl.

In 16 NFL seasons as a head coach, McCarthy has posted a 143-92-2 record in the regular season and a 10-9 mark in the playoffs. He helped lead the Green Bay Packers to a championship in Super Bowl XLV against the Pittsburgh Steelers.