Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed his confidence in the team’s head coach, Mike McCarthy, on Tuesday.
“I want to be real clear: He wouldn’t be sitting here today if I didn’t think he was the man to lead this team to a Super Bowl,” Jones told reporters as the Cowboys were set to begin training camp in Oxnard, California.
“And I have choices,” Jones continued. “That’s not meant to be insensitive to anybody. That’s a fact. … The guy to my right is who I’m convicted about, have been. We’ve certainly have had things we have addressed, and the way we addressed them in the offseason, I think we have successfully put together a staff that, from this vantage point, gives us absolutely the best chance with our makeup and our team to get to the ultimate success.”
McCarthy’s job security had been the subject of scrutiny well before the team began training camp on Tuesday.
After the Cowboys ran away with the NFC East title and finished 12-5 last season, they were the only home team to lose in the wild-card round of the playoffs when time ran out on them against the San Francisco 49ers.
After that, Jones used a curious choice of words on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas when talking about his team’s head coach.
“Mike knows that someday somebody other than him will be coach of the Cowboys,” Jones told the radio station.
Speaking with The Dallas Morning News, McCarthy expressed his annoyance with the continued discussion over his job security in Dallas.
“It’s irritating that the first question you ask me has nothing to do with how I do my job,” he said. “I show up every day for work to win a championship. How do we win today? That’s what I’m asking.
“My viewpoint is it’s not a story. It’s a media-driven narrative, or at least a narrative driven outside my realm.”
Still, it is clear that with Jones turning 80 in October, he is desperate to end the Cowboys’ 26-season Super Bowl drought, increasing the pressure on McCarthy.
McCarthy became the ninth head coach in team history when he signed a five-year contract on January 8, 2020.
His first year as the head coach was derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevented teams from hosting offseason programs, and shortened training camp. To make matters worse, starting quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a gruesome ankle injury in the fifth game of the season, diminishing the team’s chances of success.
Dallas would finish 6-10 in McCarthy’s first season in charge, giving him a record of 18-15 over his first two seasons. McCarthy replaced Jason Garrett, who went 8-8 in each of his first three seasons as the Cowboys’ head coach.
Garrett would remain the head man in Dallas for nine full seasons before Jones decided to make a coaching change.
Despite the awkwardness that has followed the San Francisco playoff loss, Jones and his son and executive vice president Stephen Jones have defended McCarthy on various occasions this offseason.
“I just think unfortunately when you’re a coach, quarterback or player for the Cowboys, you’re going to get a lot of attention, and sometimes it’s not all going to be positive,” Stephen Jones said from the NFL combine in February. “Jerry and I know that better than anybody … but we feel good about Mike.”
“One, we went 12-5. Most people consider that a success,” Stephen Jones said. “It’s not around here because we want to win a championship. I think his track record speaks for [itself]. He’s won a Super Bowl, been to championship games. I love the way his leadership style is. I think he’s got a great pulse for our football team and just feel like he’s the right guy for us.”
That FAT AZZ cant coach. Dake cant throw and Zeke quit playing football….Im a Cowboys fan but this year 5-12. This proves Jerry is senile and needs to be committed or better yet MOVE FROM TEXAS Jerry sucks as a GM – his legacy now is JERRY IS A LOSER
The Cowboys will never win the SB with the coach or the talent they have. Jerry is cheap when it comes to paying for all-around talent.
Amari Cooper could have taken to the playoffs but Jerry wouldn’t pay.
Jerry only hires players with criminal records because he knows that he can get them for little pay.
Jerry Jones has been saying that his coaches can lead the Cowboys to a Superbowl win for the past 25 years and it hasn’t happened. In fact in the past 25 years the Cowboys have only been to the playoffs 11 times and have made it past the first round four of those 11 times. The Cowboys are losers. They will never see another Superbowl until they hire a general manager. Jerry and Stephen Jones know nothing about football and should bow out.
No, the owner is the LOSER and we fan know this! Jerry will never win because of how he treats the coaches and player.
Plus he has never been a good role model! He has done more perverted crap then anyone in the NFL!
I pretty much quit supporting the team after Jones took over. Thought Jimmy J was a good choice, but of course Jerry has to ruin that. And Switzer?! I could have coached that team to the SB. Why give Jones money to buy another yacht? Might as well root for IBM, Cowboys are just another corporation.
Jerry is just sending a message to McCarthy, get it done this year are your gone. With Jerry you have to read between the lines.
So true!
I’m NOT a football 🏈 fan however, I did love watching the Cowboys play when Tom Landry had the team. Jerry Jones is noTom Landry . . . He isn’t even likable in my opinion and the problem may be him and him alone!!
Amen from one Anna to another! It is Jerry.
The. Cowboys want win because of Jerry Jones. They need to take him home and feed him some soup.
Jerry is like Al Davis, he thinks he is the greatest. Jerry destroyed this team and he destroyed Dak.
Dal should have gotten the HELL out of Dallas when he had the opportunity.
Tony Roma was a mediocre player, 8/8.
Jerry wanted him to be a Super Star and he never would have been.
Jerry and Dallas want a White Quarterback bottom line. It’s the truth and we all know it. A black quarterback doesn’t stand a chance. Even if he win a Super Bowl in Dallas.
THE TRUTH!😢