Jerry Jones Explains Mike McCarthy's Cowboys Exit: 'It Was Time for a Change'

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones discussed the exit of former head coach Mike McCarthy after he was eventually replaced by offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

"Mike McCarthy left some good stuff here," Jones said Monday, per RJ Ochoa of Blogging the Boys. "One of them was Brian... it was time for a change. I've heard it criticized we spent five days getting to come to that decision. We did. Come to that decision. One of the reasons we came to that decision is because there was this decision available to us as well. One of the reasons."

The Cowboys chose to move on from McCarthy on Jan. 13 after his contract expired at the end of the 2024 season.

"Prior to reaching the point of contract negotiations, though, it became mutually clear that it would be better for each of us to head in a different direction," Jones said in a statement released after the team parted ways with McCarthy.

Dallas eventually hired Schottenheimer on Friday.

McCarthy finished with a 49-35 record in five years with the Cowboys, although they owned a 1-3 playoff mark during his tenure. Dallas is also coming off a missed postseason appearance for the first time since 2020, ending its 2024 campaign at No. 3 in the NFC East standings with a 7-10 record.

The Cowboys sat at 3-2 through Week 5, but they proceeded to lose five straight games and quickly fell out of the NFC playoff race. They also dealt with injuries to key players on both sides of the ball, highlighted by quarterback Dak Prescott undergoing season-ending hamstring surgery after appearing in eight games.

McCarthy could still find himself patrolling the sidelines in 2025, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Sunday that he would "expect" the New Orleans Saints to be talking to him regarding the team's head coaching vacancy "at some point this week."

As for the Cowboys, they'll be looking to return to the playoffs in 2025 during their first year with Schottenheimer.