Cowboys' Mike McCarthy addresses job security amid 3-3 start

Shortly after the Dallas Cowboys fell to 3-3 on the season via this past Sunday's brutal 47-9 home loss to the Detroit Lions, Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones insisted he was "not considering" firing head coach Mike McCarthy.

McCarthy spoke with reporters on Monday and addressed the undeniable whispers regarding his future that hover over the Cowboys during their bye week.

"I think it's just part of the business," McCarthy said, as shared by Todd Archer of ESPN. "When people ask me about really anything with the team, part of working here, it's part of the business."

McCarthy remains in the final season of his contract amid the club's rocky start to the campaign . For a piece published Tuesday, ESPN's Ben Solak pointed out that McCarthy and Co. seemingly miss longtime defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who left the Cowboys to become head coach of the Washington Commanders following the 2023 season. According to ESPN stats, Dallas is currently surrendering 28.0 points per game, the third-worst mark in the NFL for the ongoing campaign.

Additionally, ESPN stats show that Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott ended Week 6 ranked 25th in the league among qualified players with a 48.9 adjusted QBR. Per Solak, Prescott is "last in success rate among 31 quarterbacks this season and third last in (expected points added) per dropback" as it pertains to red-zone situations. Such numbers are worrisome, considering Prescott was a finalist for the 2023 regular-season Most Valuable Player Award.

"At the end of the day if we totally don't believe it's about us, it'll always be about us and play to who we are, what we do, how we do it, then we're not going to get to where we want to go," McCarthy explained during his comments. "And I believe we will. I think this is an opportunity that we relish. I know I relish it. And I think they do too."

The Cowboys were repeatedly linked with former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick throughout the offseason, and McCarthy's squad hasn't silenced such chatter with its play this fall. The harsh truth of the matter is that McCarthy may need to earn more than just a single playoff win in January to keep Jones from reaching out to Belichick regarding the Dallas job.

For now, McCarthy will have to focus on having his rested team ready for the "Sunday Night Football" matchup at the San Francisco 49ers on Oct. 27. 3-3 San Francisco hosts the 5-0 Kansas City Chiefs this coming Sunday.