Let's get real about Mike McCarthy being 'fed up' with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones

A lot has been made about a recent report from Go Long's Tyler Dunne claiming that Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy is getting fed up with the way the team and owner Jerry Jones are doing things.

Days after it was originally published, Dunne's report gained some steam as different social media accounts with large followings started sharing the quote, which then led to seemingly the entire NFL world talking about it, from Cowboys Nation to national TV personalities.

Per Dunne, a former Cowboys personnel man said "(McCarthy is) doing it the best he can, some of the people I've talked to have said that he's getting fed up with it a little bit."

A lot of drama has stemmed from this particular tidbit of information and I believe it's high time we get real about the whole thing. Without any further ado, here are some thoughts of mine about the whole thing.

Who wouldn't be fed up?

Strip the names from the conversation. What NFL head coach wouldn't be fed up heading into a contract year? Sure, these are guys that likely have a lot of money saved up in their bank accounts but it can't be fun not knowing if you're going to have a job and if so, where exactly? And you've got to move your family, too, by the way.

It's a tough situation to be in regardless of who you are and what team you're coaching.

Now let's consider the characters in question: McCarthy is dealing with all this after winning 12 games in three consecutive seasons and after making Dak Prescott the MVP runner up on his first year in control of the offense.

Now, I'm not going to sit here and act like McCarthy wasn't a candidate to be on the chopping block after a disastrous playoff performance. I wrote an opinion column myself moments after the game arguing for him to be fired. But there's gotta be a level of frustration after his regular season success not yielding a little bit more security, and although the story for Dallas revolves about going from regular season heroes to actual contenders, McCarthy's success remains something many NFL coaches would love to have.

Keep in mind, letting someone coach on a contract year is not the standard practice around the league. Usually, front offices either fire coaches or extend them. Even Mike Tomlin got a new deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But the Cowboys have McCarthy, Dak Prescott, and CeeDee Lamb, as well as most of the coaching staff (including new hire DC Mike Zimmer) entering contract years.

You've got to wonder just how healthy that is for the team's morale and locker room vibes. Not to mention, it can't be helping the team in its negotiations, right? Then there's the money aspect of things, which we'll be discussing later.

The worst type of 'prove it' year

But let's say the Cowboys are on to something. Let's assume that every team is doing it wrong and that treating this season with a "prove it or you're out" mindset from quarterback to head coach is the way to go and actually a genius move. The problem is they're asking McCarthy to prove it with less talent that the team had in 2023. It's nonsensical.

The team's biggest signings this season are - literally - Eric Kendricks and Ezekiel Elliott. They'll pay them a combined $5 million in 2024.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, allowed Tyron Smith to leave for the New York Jets. They couldn't spare $2M to keep much-needed depth at defensive tackle by re-signing Johnathan Hankins, who followed former Cowboys DL coach Aden Durde to Seattle. Stephon Gilmore remains a free agent and Dallas is unlikely to be his eventual  landing spot.

In other words, while other teams around the league have taken on aggressive salary cap strategies when their Super Bowl window is closing, the Cowboys have taken the ultra-conservative route: Do more with less.

Maybe the Cowboys are right. Maybe, just maybe this is the right way to do things. But then again they lack the results to prove they're on to something while the rest of the league is doing it wrong.

If we're being real about it, it's more likely all about the money.

One more thing: Coach's money is guaranteed

Speaking of it all being about the money, allow me to pose this question to you. Bare with me. For those who don’t know, a head coaches’ salary is fully guaranteed in the NFL, unlike players'. So if you fire a coach halfway through his contract, you still have to pay up all the money promised on his deal.

That’s why a couple of years ago, the NFL warned owners about rising sums for terminated coaches: A jaw-dropping sum of $800M on a five-year period.

You mean to tell me that the Jones family doesn't have that specific number in mind when deciding whether or not to extend the Cowboys head coach?

Or have they yet to extend the man because they really want McCarthy to work under pressure and with less support around him? I know where my money is at.

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