Jerry Jones seems to like waiting to make big decisions. While some might take that as the owner of the Dallas Cowboys being diligent and thinking things through, it has also painted him as “cheap” in some fans’ eyes. Ultimately, Jones recently showed that he’s willing to spend money, as he signed Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb to big money extensions before the 2024 season, but he waited up until the last minute to do so.
Now, Jones took forever to come to a decision on keeping Mike McCarthy or not. There were pros and cons to letting him go, and that’s exactly what Jones ended up deciding on Monday. The Cowboys will now begin their head coaching search, even though many believe McCarthy did enough with a depleted roster in 2024 to stay.
Mike McCarthy shares emotional embrace with Cowboys staff after season finale against Washington
Jerry Jones didn’t want to pay Mike McCarthy like a top head coach
The problem may have actually come down to money, though. Mickey Spagnola, a columnist for DallasCowboys.com, believes Jones simply wasn’t willing to spend what it would take to keep McCarthy in Dallas.
Jerry likely wasn’t willing to commit guaranteed money over the five-year time period new head coaches have been signing over the past year that certainly McCarthy’s agent, Don Yee, was angling for. Also, as pointed out last week when someone asked what in the world could be the negotiating hangup, my response was simple: Money.
Spagnola mentions McCarthy’s $4 million salary ranking 15th among head coaches, a number that was clearly too low in the coach’s eyes. Considering nine other head coaches are over double digits, making at least $11 million per year, one could see where McCarthy’s gripe is.
McCarthy may not be a truly elite head coach, but he won 12 games in three straight seasons with Dallas before losing Prescott and other key players to injuries in 2024. It would not be a surprise to see another team pay him to be their guy, and substantially more than he was making with the Cowboys.
