Cowboys Players Gave Mike McCarthy 'A' Grade in Survey Before Failed Contract Talks

Head coach Mike McCarthy received high marks from his players in what proved to be his last year with the Dallas Cowboys.

Cowboys players gave McCarthy an "A" grade as part of the NFL Players Association's annual report cards. Ninety-seven percent of the respondents thought he "was efficient with their time," and they credited him with being "highly receptive to locker room feedback on the team's needs."

Dallas fell well short of expectations on the field, going 7-10 and missing the playoffs. However, the report card backs up what was one assessment of the team's performance.

Despite how the injuries and losses started to pile up, Cowboys players didn't show any quit. The prime example came in Week 16, when they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-24 hours after learning they were eliminated from postseason contention.

The NFLPA report card doesn't necessarily mean retaining McCarthy would've been the right call. Dallas couldn't get past the divisional round in any of its previous three seasons, and its struggles in 2024 went beyond just the injuries to key players.

The manner in which the Cowboys moved on from McCarthy, though, reflected larger issues that have held the organization back for years.

And paying McCarthy whatever he wanted was a better alternative to promoting offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.

The report card points to how Schottenheimer, despite being an internal hire and providing continuity, will have a challenge on his hands in terms of gaining the support of the locker room.