Cowboys' Jerry Jones: Not 'Crazy at All' Mike McCarthy Gets New Contract amid Rumors

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones says that it's not "crazy at all" to consider an extension for head coach Mike McCarthy.

"I don't think that's crazy at all," Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan's Shan & RJ (20-minute mark.) "That's not crazy. And listen, Mike McCarthy is one outstanding coach... this is a Super Bowl winning coach. Mike McCarthy has been there, done that. He's got great ideas.

"So, bottom line is, in no place, in my body language or anything else, have you seen indications about what we're going to be doing relative to this staff at the end of this year. And we shouldn't. We got a lot of football left... six football games, that's a lifetime."

McCarthy is in the final season of the five-year contract he signed with the franchise in 2020. With Dak Prescott sidelined for the rest of the 2024 season, the 4-7 Cowboys could potentially finish the season with their worst record under his tenure so far.

Jones' comments come two days after the Cowboys granted fans some optimism by racking up 24 points in the fourth quarter of a close win over the Washington Commanders in Week 12.

The Cowboys prevailed without Prescott, who was sidelined after Week 8 with a hamstring injury that necessitated surgery, by capitalizing on Commanders mistakes including a bungled kickoff that turned into a 99-yard touchdown return by KaVontae Turpin.

Jones said earlier this month after a Week 10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles that his evaluation of the franchise's success this season would hinge on the team's ability to be "fundamentally competitive" in games.

"My criteria has always been, 'How we're playing. Do we have an edge? Are we fundamentally competitive? Are we competitive when we're down? Those kinds of things," Jones said, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "Not as much obviously, the score... Let me be real clear. Nobody's trying to be fair here. We're trying to win a game. And so those are the things I'm looking at to help be a part of decisions that could help us win a game."

McCarthy was hired in 2020 to replace former Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett. After an initial 6-10 campaign, he led the Cowboys to a trio of 12-win seasons while recording just a single playoff victory.

Although the 4-7 Cowboys are guaranteed to come short of 12 wins this season, McCarthy will look to continue building on the momentum of the win over the Commanders— while improving his pitch for at least one more year as head coach— as the Cowboys return home to take on the struggling New York Giants on Thursday.