Cowboys' Jerry Jones: It's 'Ridiculous' to Think Mike McCarthy Would Be Fired

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Tuesday it's "ridiculous" to think head coach Mike McCarthy should be fired after less than a year with the organization.

"Not one time have I been in any discussion, had any dream or given any thought to not having Mike McCarthy" as the team's coach next season, Jones said on 105.3 The Fan (via Jon Machota of The Athletic).

Stephen Jones, Jones' son and the team's executive vice president, made similar comments Monday when asked about McCarthy's future on 105.3 The Fan:

"There will be absolutely no change with coach McCarthy. I am surprised someone would question these unprecedented situations that everybody's been in. On top of that, no one's making excuses, but we've had some challenges in the injury category. If you look at his track record, and his pedigree, he's consistently won year-in-and-year out. We have the utmost confidence this ship is going to be righted quickly. Mike's going to be the leader of this group. He's, certainly, a great head coach. I think we're going to see that going forward. He's accomplished a lot, and he's going to accomplish a lot more before it's all said and done."

The Cowboys are last in the NFC East with a 4-9 record in large part because they rank last in the NFL in scoring defense (30.8 points allowed per game). That's a disappointing position given the high expectations that accompanied the 2011 Super Bowl winner's offseason arrival in January.

Yet, it's hard to solely blame the 57-year-old Pennsylvania native for the struggles because the roster has been seriously affected by injuries.

Quarterback Dak Prescott suffered a season-ending ankle injury during Dallas' Week 5 win over the New York Giants, and three key offensive linemen have joined him on the team's injured reserve list: Tyron Smith, La'el Collins and Zack Martin.

Those absences help explain why the team's offense, which led the NFL in yardage last year, has dropped off in 2020.

The bigger concern is the defense, which has witnessed several key contributors, including linebacker Leighton Vander Esch and defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, underperform throughout the season.

Last week, McCarthy promised the team would turn things around.

"We're just not doing as well as we'd like with the multiple challenges that we've had," he told reporters. "I'm glad to be a Dallas Cowboy. I love it here. This is a phenomenal opportunity. Make no mistake about it. This is not where we intended to be. This is not where we're going to stay."

The Cowboys beat the Cincinnati Bengals 30-7 on Sunday and haven't been eliminated from the playoff race because all four NFC East teams are under .500, but one more win by the Washington Football Team would end their hopes.

So the focus may soon shift toward building for 2021, and the Jones family has made it clear McCarthy will return to lead the coaching staff next year.